Patient education: Osteoarthritis (The Basics)

What is osteoarthritis? — "Arthritis" is a general term that means inflammation of the joints. There are dozens of types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type. It often begins later in life, and it often affects the hands, knees, and hips.

The place where 2 bones meet is normally covered with a rubbery material called cartilage. This material allows the bones to slide over each other without causing pain. When osteoarthritis happens, the cartilage begins to break down. As it wears away, the bones in the joint start to rub against each other (figure 1). This can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling (table 1).

What can I do to feel better? — To ease your symptoms, you can:

●Rest for several minutes when your pain is really bad – But don't rest too long. That can make your muscles weak and make your pain worse.

●Try losing weight, if needed – Carrying excess weight puts extra strain on your joints. Your doctor or nurse can talk to you about healthy ways to lose weight.

●Get plenty of physical activity – Having strong muscles takes some of the strain off of your joints. It can reduce your pain later, even if it hurts to do at first. There are lots of different ways to get physical activity. Even gentle forms of exercise, like walking, are good for your health. Your doctor or nurse can help you come up with a routine that works for you. They might also suggest that you work with a physical therapist (exercise expert).

●Use "assistive devices" if your doctor recommends them – These devices can help keep your joints stable or take weight off of them. Examples include shoe inserts, splints, canes, and walkers.

●Use hot or cold packs – Some people find that heat or cold helps relieves pain for a short time.

●Learn about arthritis – Learning about your condition allows you to work with your doctor or nurse to find the things that help you best. It can also help you better understand what to expect with your symptoms and treatment.

Can herbs, vitamins, or supplements help? — There is no strong evidence that supplements of any sort work on arthritis symptoms. That's true even for glucosamine and chondroitin, which are supplements that some people think help with arthritis. If you want to try any supplements or herbs, check with your doctor or nurse before taking them.

Are there medicines I can take? — Usually, doctors suggest trying things like physical activity, weight loss, and assistive devices first. If these do not help with pain, they might recommend medicine. Options include medicines that come as pills as well as creams and gels that go on the skin.

In some situations, doctors might suggest shots that go into the joint to relieve pain. But these are not usually used as a main treatment, because they only work for a few weeks.

What about surgery? — When other treatments do not help enough, some people with osteoarthritis get surgery. For instance, some people have surgery to replace a knee or a hip. Surgeons are working on other types of surgery for arthritis, too.

How can I find an approach that works for me? — The symptoms of osteoarthritis can be hard to cope with. But don't lose hope. You might need to try different combinations of medicines, exercises, and devices to find the approach that works for you. But most people are able to find ways to go back to doing many of the things that they like to do.

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Patient education: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Osteoarthritis symptoms and diagnosis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Osteoarthritis treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Total hip replacement (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Total knee replacement (Beyond the Basics)