How Is Osteoarthritis Diagnosed?
Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint. It occurs most often in the hands, knees, hips, and spine.

Warning signs of Osteoarthritis are:
  •Steady or on-and-off pain in a joint
  •Stiffness in a joint after getting out of bed or sitting for a long time
  •Swelling or tenderness in one or more joints
  •A crunching feeling or the sound of bone rubbing on bone.

No single test can diagnose Osteoarthritis. Most doctors use several methods to diagnose the disease and rule out other problems:
  •Medical history
  •Physical exam
  •X rays
  •Other tests such as blood tests or exams of the fluid in the joints.

How Is Osteoarthritis Treated?
Doctors often combine treatments to fit a patient's needs, lifestyle, and health.

Osteoarthritis treatment has four main goals:
  •Improve joint care through rest and exercise
  •Keep a healthy body weight
  •Control pain
  •Achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Osteoarthritis treatment plans can involve:
  •Exercise
  •Weight control
  •Rest and joint care
  •Pain relief
  •Medicines
  •Alternative therapies
  •Surgery.

How Can Self-Care and a "Good-Health Attitude" Help?

Three kinds of programs help people learn about Osteoarthritis and self-care and improve their good-health attitude:
  •Patient education programs
  •Arthritis self-management programs
  •Arthritis support groups.

These programs teach people about Osteoarthritis and its treatments. They also have clear and long-lasting benefits. People in these programs learn to:
  •Exercise and relax
  •Talk with their doctor or other health care providers
  •Solve problems.

People with Osteoarthritis find that self-management programs help them:
  •Understand the disease
  •Reduce pain while staying active
  •Cope with their body, mind, and emotions
  •Have more control over the disease
  •Live an active, independent life.

People with a good-health attitude:
  •Focus on what they can do, not what they can't do
  •Focus on their strengths, not their weaknesses
  •Break down activities into small tasks that are easy to manage
  •Build fitness and healthy eating into their daily routines
  •Develop ways to lower and manage stress
  •Balance rest with activity
  •Develop a support system of family, friends, and health care providers.