Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of joint pain. Here we explain how Voltarol Emulgel P can help to relieve the pain associated with osteoarthritis.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and can be a degenerative joint disease. It tends to affect people more as they get older and most commonly affects knee and finger joints. The severity of the condition varies from person to person. Some people will only experience mild symptoms, while others may find everyday activities to be difficult and painful.
What causes osteoarthritis?
This condition is caused by ‘wear and tear’ to the joints. Joints are exposed to damage every day, but usually the body repairs this damage itself and you won’t experience any symptoms. But in people with osteoarthritis, the damage is not fully repaired. This can lead to a loss of the cartilage in the joint (that is the protective surface that allows your joints to move smoothly), bony growths and slight inflammation of the joint. Typical symptoms include joint pain, swelling and stiffness.
Risk factors
While there are several reasons why you might develop osteoarthritis, some of the key risk factors are:
- Age - People aged 45 and over are more likely to develop this condition
- Weight - Being obese puts more strain on your joints, particularly those that bear the most weight, such as the hips and knees, so this condition tends to be worse if you are overweight
- Joint injury - If joints have been damaged by an injury or operation they are more at risk, particularly if a joint is overused before it is properly healed
- Gender - Women are more likely to develop the condition than men
How can Voltarol Emulgel P help with your pain?
Voltarol gels are medications that can help to relieve joint pain with various causes. Voltarol Emulgel P can relieve pain linked to mild osteoarthritis of the knees or fingers. It has an easy-to-open cap available for larger tube sizes, to aid ease of use for those who suffer from finger pain.
How does Voltarol Emulgel P work?
Voltarol Emulgel P is a medicated treatment containing a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The gel is applied by gently rubbing it into the affected area, where it is effectively absorbed into the skin to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and speed up recovery.
Voltarol Emulgel P penetrates the skin to the underlying tissues and treats the cause of pain. Never use on damaged or diseased skin, on an open wound or under a non-breathable dressing. The special, low odour formula used by Voltarol combines the qualities of a gel and a cream, which work to cool and soothe the skin.
The Voltarol gel range contains diclofenac diethylammonium, and includes Emulgel P (for relief of non-serious arthritic conditions), Pain-Eze Emulgel and 12 Hour Emulgel P 2.32% gel. Voltarol 140 mg Medicated Plaster contains diclofenac sodium. For relief of pain and inflammation. Always read the label.