New Era for Millions with Osteoarthritis in the UK

New guidelines issued in the United Kingdom (UK) suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) stipulate that age, obesity, gender, smoking, or people's other illnesses should not dissuade doctors from referring them for joint replacement surgery where this is clinically appropriate.

The new guidelines issued by the U.K. National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE, London, UK) recommend that OA patients needing National Health Service (NHS; London, UK) joint surgery are referred promptly when other treatments have failed them. Breaking with a past in which people were often kept waiting until their joints had worn out, the new NICE guidelines for England and Wales recommend action before people experience severe pain or prolonged loss of function. This may include consideration for surgery once osteoarthritis starts having a 'substantial impact' on quality of life. The NICE guidelines also set out a package for the holistic assessment and active management of OA, recommending a whole-person prescription which may include exercise, weight management, pain relieving gels and medications, and provision by health professionals of information to help people understand their OA and the control of its symptoms.

"It's fantastic news for people with OA. Surgery may be the kindest cut when other treatments have failed, especially as modern techniques mean you needn't wait to lose a joint to save it,” said Mr. Neil Betteridge, chief executive of Arthritis Care (London, UK). "The clarity of these guidelines should bring some much-needed consistency.”

"It recommends the holistic and can-do approach that Arthritis Care has always promoted. The package means that people should never again be told that ‘nothing can be done', that ‘osteoarthritis is a natural part of getting old', and something you ‘just have to put up with',” added Mr. Betteridge.

Arthritis is the UK's biggest single cause of physical disability, affecting around nine million Britons of all ages. Symptoms include pain and stiffness in the joints, often resulting in sleeplessness, fatigue, and depression. Mobility and ability to work may be compromised. With a plummeting income, involvement in sport and social life can diminish, leading to isolation, depression, and a loss of self-esteem.


Related Links:
U.K. National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence
National Health Service
Arthritis Care