Also helpful are support (“assistive”) devices, such as braces or a walking cane, that help you do daily activities. Heat or cold therapy can help relieve OA symptoms for a short time.
Certain alternative treatments such as spa (hot tub), massage, acupuncture and chiropractic manipulation can help relieve pain for a short time. They can be costly, though, and require repeated treatments. Also, the long-term benefits of these alternative (sometimes called complementary or integrative) medicine treatments are unproven but are under study.