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Common forms of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis: symptoms can range from stiffness, swelling, mild redness and intermittent mild pain to severe joint pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis: can be one of the more disabling forms of arthritis. It can occur at any age and affects women three times more often than men.

Gout: most common in older men.

Treatments are designed to reduce pain and swelling, keep joints moving safely and avoid further damage to joints. Some common treatments are:

• medication as prescribed by your doctor
• exercise to help keep joint moving, reduce pain and strengthen muscles around affected joints
• applying heat or cold to the affected area for temporary relief
• weight control to reduce stress on joints and help avoid future damage

• swelling in one or more joints
• morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes
• joint pain
• inability to move a joint in the usual way
• redness or warmth in a joint
• weight loss, fever or weakness and joint pain that cannot be explained

If you experience any of these symptoms and are concerned, please consult your doctor.

Compiled by National Institute on Aging, USA.

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