According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), degenerative bone diseases refer to multiple diseases of the bone; two of the most common degenerative bone diseases are osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Treatment options focus on treating both the bone and nearby joints. According to NIH, the goals of degenerative bone disease treatment are to increase strength, improve movement, relieve pain and reducing debilitating affects. Three effective forms of treatment include medication, surgery and exercise.
Medication
According to NIH, medication can be used to treat the pain associated with degenerative bone diseases. Two types of medications can be used: COX-2 inhibitors and steroids. COX-2 inhibitors work by reducing the swelling from degenerative bone diseases; according to NIH, COX-2 inhibitors have fewer side effects when compared to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. The other type of medication for degenerative bone diseases, steroids, is injected directly into the bone or joint. Steroid injections have dual purposes: easing pain and reducing inflammation.
Surgery
Four different types of surgery are used for degenerative bone diseases, according to NIH; the type of surgery used depends on the damage to the bone. The first type of surgery, arthroscopic surgery, is used to trim torn and damaged cartilage in the joint. Osteotomy is done to change the alignment of the bone, thus alleviating stress on the bone. The third type of surgery, arthrodesis, surgically fuses the bone; NIH points out that arthrodesis is usually done on the spine. The last type of surgery, vertebroplasty, is done to treat small fractures in the spinal column; these small fractures are due to osteoporosis. Vertebroplasty involves an injection of bone cement in the fracture, thus stabilizing the bone.
Exercise
In addition to medication and surgery, exercise can be used to alleviate some of the pressure from the degenerative bone diseases. According to NIH, examples of exercises for degenerative bone diseases include water exercises, weight bearing exercises, resistance exercises, balance exercises, walking and jogging. Exercises may be combined with physical therapy to monitor the patient's progress.
