bone, joint, and muscle disorders
Calcium Pyrophosphate (CPP) Arthritis
Treatment of CPP Arthritis
Drainage of joint fluid and injection of a corticosteroid Medications to relieve pain and swelling resulting from inflammation Physical therapy Treatment of acute CPP arthritis is similar to that for acute Treatment . Usually, treatment can stop acute attacks and prevent new attacks but cannot reverse changes in already damaged joints. Excess joint fluid can be drained and a corticosteroid can be injected into the joint to rapidly reduce the inflammation and pain. Medications taken by mouth help treat CPP arthritis. Most often, Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are used to promptly stop the pain and inflammation of acute attacks. Colchicine(see table) can be given by mouth in daily low doses (usually 1 or 2 pills) to try to limit the number of flares. Corticosteroids taken by mouth are effective at treating acute CPP arthritis flares and are particularly useful for some people who should not take NSAIDs orcolchicine. If people cannot tolerate corticosteroids, NSAIDs, orcolchicine, drugs that suppress the immune system and inflammation (such asanakinradaily injections) can be effective. Unlike for gout, no specific effective long-term treatment of CPP arthritis is available. However, physical therapy (such as muscle-strengthening and range-of-motion exercises) may be helpful to maintain joint function. 