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Who Treats Osteoarthritis
Treating Osteoarthritis often requires a multidisciplinary or
team approach. Many types of health professionals care for people with arthritis. You may choose a few or
more of the following professionals to be part of your health care team:
Primary care physicians: doctors who treat patients before they are
referred to other specialists in the health care system.
Rheumatologists: doctors who specialize in treating arthritis and related conditions
that affect joints, muscles, and bones.
Orthopaedists: surgeons who specialize in the treatment of, and surgery
for, bone and joint diseases.
Physical therapists: health professionals who work with patients to
improve joint function.
Occupational therapists: health professionals who teach ways to protect
joints, minimize pain, perform activities of daily living, and conserve
energy.
Dietitians: health professionals who teach ways to use a good diet to
improve health and maintain a healthy weight.
Nurse educators: nurses who specialize in helping patients understand
their overall condition and implement their treatment plans.
Physiatrists (rehabilitation specialists): medical doctors who help
patients make the most of their physical potential.
Licensed acupuncture therapists: health professionals who reduce pain
and improve physical functioning by inserting fine needles into the
skin at specific points on the body.
Psychologists: health professionals who seek to help patients cope with
difficulties in the home and workplace resulting from their medical
conditions.
Social workers: professionals who assist patients with social
challenges caused by disability, unemployment, financial hardships,
home health care, and other needs resulting from their medical
conditions.
What You Can Do: The Importance of Self-Care and a Good-Health Attitude
While health care professionals can prescribe or recommend treatments
to help you manage your arthritis, the real key to living
well with the disease is you. Research shows that people with
osteoarthritis who take part in their own care report less pain and
make fewer doctor visits. They also enjoy a better quality of life.
Living well and enjoying good health despite arthritis requires an everyday
lifelong commitment. Following are six habits worth committing to:
1. Get educated: To live well with osteoarthritis, it pays to learn as
much as you can about the disease. Three kinds of programs help people
understand osteoarthritis, learn selfcare, and improve their
good-health attitude. They are:
- patient education programs
- arthritis self-management programs
- arthritis support groups.
These programs teach people about osteoarthritis, its
treatments, exercise and relaxation, patient and health care provider
communication, and problem solving. Research has shown that people who
participate in these programs are more likely to have positive outcomes.
Self-Management Programs Do Help
People with osteoarthritis find that self-management programs help them:
- understand the disease
- reduce pain while remaining active
- cope physically, emotionally, and mentally
- have greater control over the disease
- build confidence in their ability to live an active, independent life.
2. Stay active: Regular physical activity plays a key role in self-care and wellness. Three types of exercise are important in osteoarthritis management. The first type, strengthening exercises, help keep or increase muscle strength. Strong muscles help support and protect joints affected by arthritis. The second type, aerobic conditioning exercises, improve cardiovascular fitness, help control weight, and improve overall function. The third type, range-of-motion exercises, help reduce stiffness and maintain or increase proper joint movement and flexibility.
Most people with osteoarthritis exercise best when their pain is least severe. Start with an adequate warm-up and begin exercising slowly. Resting frequently ensures a good workout and reduces the risk of injury.
Before beginning any type of exercise program, consult your doctor or physical therapist to learn which exercises are appropriate for you and how to do them correctly, because doing the wrong exercise or exercising improperly can cause problems. A health care professional can also advise you on how to warm up safely and when to avoid exercising a joint affected by arthritis.
3. Eat well: Though no specific diet will necessarily make your arthritis better, eating right and controlling your weight can help by minimizing stress on the weightbearing joints such as the knees and the joints of the feet. It can also minimize your risk of developing other health problems.
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