DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What is your recommendation for osteoarthritis? I am a 77-year-old man currently taking diclofenac and Tylenol for arthritis, as prescribed by my primary physician, to no avail. I also would appreciate your opinion on turmeric. — J.T.

ANSWER: Osteoarthritis is the most common kind of arthritis, a condition that almost all older people have a touch of. It comes about because of the fraying and crumbling of cartilage inside the joint. Cartilage is a material that makes it possible for one bone to glide across another without friction or pain when the joint moves. You didn’t say, but I’m assuming you have arthritis of the knees.

Exercise, believe it or not, is helpful. It strengthens muscles around the arthritic joint and affords it protection. Biking, walking, swimming and water aerobics are some of the exercises that most people with arthritis are capable of.

Hot or cold compresses on the affected joint are another way to eliminate pain. Experiment to see whether heat or cold works better for you. Weight loss greatly relieves stress on joints, the knee in particular. A loss of only five pounds takes enormous strain off the joint.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDS) are effective in relieving joint pain. Your diclofenac (Voltaren) is one of more than nine other such products. I’d try a different one. All of them should be used in the lowest dose that provides pain control and for the shortest period of time.

Cortisone products injected into the joint can reliably alleviate pain. The doctor can inject the joint three or four times a year for up to two years.

Readers sing the praises of glucosamine and chondroitin. I have some reservations about their effectiveness, but they won’t hurt you if you want to try them.

When nothing works and a person is immobilized or nearly so, joint replacement can restore your freedom.

Turmeric comes from the root of a tropical plant. It’s an ingredient in curry powder. Curcumin is the active material. It makes me suspicious because it’s touted for so many conditions. It’s another product that won’t hurt you if you want to experiment.

The arthritis booklet can give you other tips. To obtain a copy, write to: Dr. Donohue — No. 301, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a ganglion on my wrist. It’s not painful, but it bothers me. How do I get rid of it? — R.M

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Ganglions also are called Bible bumps. They go away if you bang them with a Bible. — M.B.

ANSWER: A ganglion is a cyst arising from the lining of a joint or the outer lining of a tendon. It contains a jellylike material. The inner material can be drained with a large-bore needle. Most doctors prefer to remove the lump surgically. Don’t use the thumping technique. That can cause more harm than good.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Does being left-handed have anything to do with the need for cervical vertebral spinal surgery? Of my 13 children, four are left-handed and have had this surgery. — E.W.

ANSWER: Handedness depends on which half of the brain is dominant. Ninety percent of the population is right-handed. The left side of their brain is dominant.

I’m unclear about the kind of surgery your children had and what their condition was.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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