Handout on Health: Osteoarthritis 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 Research Hope for the Future Additional Resources This booklet is for people who have osteoarthritis, their families, and others interested in learning more about the disorder. The booklet describes osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis pain medication list pain pills its symptoms and contains information about diagnosis and treatment, as well as current research efforts supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It also discusses pain relief, exercise, and quality of life for people with osteoarthritis. If you have further questions after reading this booklet, you may wish to discuss them with your doctor. What Is Osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis (AH-stee-oh-ar-THREYE-tis) is the most common type of arthritis, especially information on rhematoid arthritis list pain pills among older people. Sometimes it is called degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis. Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that mostly affects the cartilage (KAR-til-uj). Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage allows bones to glide over one another. It also absorbs energy from the shock of physical movement. In osteoarthritis, the surface layer of cartilage breaks down and wears away. This allows bones under the cartilage to rub together, causing pain, swelling, and list pain pills list pain pills loss of motion of the joint. Over time, the joint may lose its normal shape. Also, bone spurs--small growths called osteophytes--may grow on the edges of the joint. Bits of bone or cartilage can break off and float inside the joint space. This causes more pain and damage. People with osteoarthritis usually have joint pain and limited movement. Unlike some other forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis affects only joints and not internal organs. For example, rheumatoid arthritis--the second most common form of arthritis trigger finger list pain pills arthritis--affects other parts
