Drugs
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Osteoarthritis, the most common rheumatic disease, presents the clinician with a major therapeutic and management task. The chronic and progressive course of the disease is punctuated by pain, declining function and escalating disability. This article attempts to deal with the pharmacological therapeutic options available to use in the management of osteoarthritis. ⋯ While systemic steroids have no role in the treatment of osteoarthritis, intra-articular steroid injections may be of benefit. In trying to slow the degenerative process chondroprotective agents such as glycosaminoglycan may also assume increasing importance in the future. Choosing one drug over another must be done after consideration of many factors including the therapeutic and toxicity profile of the drugs involved, their pharmacology and dose regimen, the patient profile, cost and the desired effect.