How does one stop the progression of osteoarthritis?
Patient: I have been diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis at the base of my right thumb and x rays show it in both hands to a lesser degree. It is now bone on bone there and I d like to know what I can do to stop or slow down the progression of it to the rest of my skeletal joints. Thanks! XXXX Doctor: Hello,  As the OA has affected the thumb joints bilaterally the first advice will be to stabilize the joint in a maximum number of hours in the wrist brace. Which is widely available at online stores. Also, using hot water fermentation and improving the strength of the muscles of the forearm and hand is advised. We can only avoid the progression of the OA while keeping the muscle stronger to maintain the joint space. In case if we fail to do such then the grinding keeps happening and the inflammation doesn't come down.  Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.  Regards, Jay Indravadan Patel, Physical Therapist or Physiotherapist