Arthritis

How to Recognize the Signs of Arthritis - Look here for a brief explanation of the signs and symptoms of arthritis.

Arthritis Warning Signs - Brief description of common warning signs of arthritis. Covers pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue.

Diagnosing Arthritis - From the Mayo clinic, look here if you want to know how arthritis is diagnosed. As more than 100 arthritis conditions exist, the explanation is necessarily vague, but covers medical history, physical exam, blood tests, x-rays and other common ways arthritis is detected.

What’s the Treatment for Arthritis? - From WebMD, this is a good overview of arthritis treatments. Along with good coverage of medication options, the article also covers exercise, diet, lifestyle modifications, and nutritional supplements.

Exercise and Arthritis - This online publication by the University of Washington’s Medical School covers every aspect of an effective arthritis exercise program, including flexibility, strength training, and general fitness. Includes pictures and descriptions of commonly prescribed exercises.

Arthritis Drugs: What are my Options? - From the About Guide to Arthritis, this excellent article covers the wide variety of drug options available to people with arthritis. Covers NSAIDs and Cox-2 Inhibitors, DMARDS, steroids, biologic response modifiers, and analgesics.

Surgery and Arthritis - From this University of Washington Medical Center page, you can read about the basics of arthritis surgery, or quickly locate detailed information on surgery for a specific body part. If you’re looking for information on knee, hip, or other joint replacement, this is the place to start.

Glucosamine: Is it a beneficial arthritis treatment? - From the About Guide to Arthritis, this article covers how glucosamine works and its effectiveness in clinical trials.

"I think I have arthritis. Now what?" - If you think you have arthritis or if you’ve just been diagnosed, this article will answer some of your initial questions. You’ll find information on your doctor-patient relationship, treatment options, the emotional aspects of arthritis, how to connect with other arthritis sufferers, and more.

Ten Easy Tips to Help Cope with Arthritis Pain - From better posture to better footwear to better sleep, you will find useful tips to help you or a loved one cope with the pain and discomfort of arthritis.

Arthritis: Protect your Joints to Prevent Pain - Protecting your joints is one of the most effective ways to avoid or relieve arthritis pain and prevent further joint damage. Look here for tips on using joints wisely. Be sure to view the slide slow of joint protection techniques, available under Tools in the submenu on the left.

Living with Arthritis - Arthritis affects everyone differently, but there are many things you can do to improve the quality of your life despite arthritis. Look at this list of articles on living with arthritis, including diet, exercise, fatigue, stress, sex, travel, and employment.

Kids and Arthritis - From the University of Washington, this site provides parents and other caregivers with information on caring for a child with juvenile arthritis.

Understanding Osteoarthritis - Excellent article covers the cause, prevention, and treatments of osteoarthritis including exercise, medication, weight reduction, heat and ice, creams, and surgery.

10 Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Osteoarthritis - WebMD supplies this list of ten questions you should ask your doctor if you’ve been diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis Treatments - From John Hopkins, this page covers strategies for managing patients with osteoarthritis. Includes pharmaceutical therapies, intraarticular therapies, non-pharmaceutical management, and surgical management, as well as functional assessment and future directions in treatment.

Osteoarthritis and Pain - The Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center says that taking action - any action - may be the key to fighting off the pain, depression and disability that often comes with osteoarthritis.

Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis - Explains what rheumatoid arthritis is, what causes RA, and how it’s treated.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - An in-depth look at rheumatoid arthritis, including signs and symptoms, causes, seeking medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, self-care, coping, and alternative medicine. From the Mayo Clinic.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Activity Minder - From John Hopkins, this online tool allows rheumatoid arthritis patients to track their symptoms, activity levels, blood work, medication, and more. You can also print reports to take to your physician.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments - Also from John Hopkins, this page explains the common treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. Covers pharmacological strategies, treatment during pregnancy, reduction of joint stress, and surgical approaches.

What is Ankylosing Spondylitis? - From the Spondylitis Association of America, learn the symptoms, diagnostic criteria, and treatments of AS.

Exercises for Ankylosing Spondylitis - From the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society, learn the common exercises used as treatment for arthritis of the spine. Includes pictures and animations to help you perform the exercises correctly.

Ankylosing Spondylitis: Often a Delayed or Difficult Diagnosis - An article covering the difficulty AS patients often have obtaining a proper diagnosis. Includes several statistics about daily life for AS patients, early warning signs of AS, and link to additional information.

Ankylosing Spondylitis and Posture: Keeping Straight - The cornerstone of treatment for pain and stiffness associated with spondylitis includes medication, physical therapy, exercise and good posture habits. Read this article for information on proper posture and tips on correcting your posture.

Arthritis Insight Community Center - Message boards, chat, birthday board, greeting cards, photo albums and more for arthritis patients. Be sure to look at the "Members Can" section to see what other arthritis sufferers can do, instead of only focusing on what you can't do.

About Arthritis Forum - Online message board about arthritis and the people who suffer with it. Regular chat sessions also scheduled.

Arthritis Support Message Board - Read and post messages on this arthritis message board.