[Osteoarthritis - Therapy and Management]

Osteoarthritis - Therapy and Management Abstract. Osteoarthritis as the most prevalent degenerative joint disorder is a leading cause of disability and source of substantial societal cost in older adults. With the ageing and increasingly obese population, this disorder and its associated problems become much more prevalent than in previous decades. It is a problem that every general practitioner and rheumatologist will encounter in daily practice. The current therapeutic guidelines provide a good overview over the existing treatment modalities. Special focus should be placed on core treatments, including self-management and education, exercise, and weight loss as relevant. But it's important that management is tailored to the presenting individual. Besides the existing routine medications there have been many trials in the last years that showed a negative outcome. Nevertheless, there are potential candidates on the horizon that could fill the existing gap as a "Disease modifying Osteoarthritis Drug".