Chronic osteomyelitis is a term used to describe a long-term infection within the bone tissue. Adults with this type of infection typically develop symptoms within the pelvis or spinal column, while children develop symptoms in the long bones of the legs or arms. Symptoms of osteomyelitis include pain within the infected bone, decreased movement, weight loss, fever or sweating. Treatments for osteomyelitis include medications, lifestyle changes and surgery.
Intravenous Antibiotics
If you have chronic osteomyelitis, your doctor may recommend intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment at a hospital. The antibiotics your doctor uses will kill the bacteria or fungus that is infecting your bone tissue. Typically, you will receive this type of treatment for at least four to six weeks, explains Medline Plus, an informational health website provided as a service of the National Institutes of Health. People with chronic osteomyelitis may require recurrent antibiotic treatment for longer than six weeks.
Analgesic Medication
Mild forms of chronic osteomyelitis may be treated through the use of analgesic medication. Your doctor may prescribe a specific pain medication or may recommend an over-the-counter treatment, such as acetaminophen or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Often, analgesic medication is used in conjunction with antibiotic treatment to resolve painful symptoms associated with chronic osteomyelitis.
Lifestyle Alterations
Your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle alterations to help treat your chronic osteomyelitis. She may recommend that you quit smoking to help improve the circulation of blood throughout your body, explains the Better Health Channel, a health website provided by the Australian government. Increased blood flow through your body can help the affected bone fight off infection and may alleviate the severity of your chronic osteomyelitis symptoms. If you have other medical problems, such as diabetes, your doctor may work with you to determine how best to treat these underlying conditions. Such lifestyle alterations may help your body heal from infection and can aid in the prevention of recurrent bone infections.
Surgery
If the infection that causes chronic osteomyelitis is not resolved, it can begin to eat away at your bone tissue. If this occurs, your bone tissue may die or become filled with fluid or pus. When this happens, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove or drain the infected bone tissue. During surgery, your surgeon will remove the piece of damaged bone tissue and may insert a metal rod or plate into your bone to help stabilize it. Severe, untreated infection of the bone due to chronic osteomyelitis may require amputation, a form of surgery in which a portion of bone and the surrounding tissue is removed from the body.
