• What Is Osteoarthritis?
• Who Has Osteoarthritis?
• How Does Osteoarthritis Affect People?
• Osteoarthritis Basics: The Joint and Its Parts
• How Do You Know if You Have Osteoarthritis?
• How Do Doctors Diagnose Osteoarthritis?
• How Is Osteoarthritis Treated?
• Be a Winner! Practice Self-Care and Keep a "Good-Health Attitude"
• Current Osteoarthritis Research
• Hope for the Future
• Additional Osteoarthritis Resources

Osteoarthritis affects each person differently. In some people, it progresses quickly; in others, the symptoms are more serious. Scientists do not know yet what causes the disease, but they suspect a combination of factors, including being overweight, the aging process, joint injury, and stresses on the joints from certain jobs and sports activities.

What Areas Does Osteoarthritis Affect? Osteoarthritis most often occurs at the ends of the fingers, thumbs, neck, lower back, knees, and hips.

Osteoarthritis hurts people in more than their joints: their finances and lifestyles also are affected.

Financial effects include

• The cost of treatment
• Wages lost because of disability.

Lifestyle effects include

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Feelings of helplessness
• Limitations on daily activities
• Job limitations
• Trouble participating in everyday personal and family joys and responsibilities.

Despite these challenges, most people with osteoarthritis can lead active and productive lives. They succeed by using osteoarthritis treatment strategies, such as the following:

• Pain relief medications
• Rest and exercise
• Patient education and support programs
• Learning self-care and having a "good-health attitude."

Osteoarthritis Basics: The Joint and Its Parts

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