Degenerative joint disease

Pain is the way your body tells you that something is wrong. Most kinds of arthritis cause pain in your joints. You might have trouble moving around. Some kinds of arthritis can affect different parts of your body. So, along with the arthritis, you may:

• Have a fever.
  
  

• Lose weight.
  
  

• Have trouble breathing.
  
  

• Get a rash or itch.

These symptoms may also be signs of other illnesses.

Go see a doctor. Many people use herbs or medicines that you can buy without a prescription for pain. You should tell your doctor if you do. Only a doctor can tell if you have arthritis or a related condition and what to do about it. It's important not to wait.

You'll need to tell the doctor how you feel and where you hurt. The doctor will examine you and may take x rays (pictures) of your bones or joints. The x rays don't hurt and aren't dangerous. You may also have to give a little blood for tests that will help the doctor decide if you have arthritis and what kind you have.

After the doctor knows what kind of arthritis you have, he or she will talk with you about the best way to treat it. The doctor may give you a prescription for medicine that will help with the pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Health insurance or public assistance may help you pay for the medicine, doctor visits, tests, and x rays.

Before you leave the doctor's office, make sure you ask about the best way to take the medicine the doctor prescribes. For example, you may need to take some medicines with milk, or you may need to eat something just before or after taking them, to make sure they don't upset your stomach.

You should also ask how often to take the medicine or to put cream on the spots that bother you. Creams might make your skin and joints feel better. Sometimes, though, they can make your skin burn or break out in a rash. If this happens, call the doctor.

Sometimes you might still have pain after using your medicine. Here are some things to try:

• Take a warm shower.
  
  

• Do some gentle stretching exercises.
  
  

• Use an ice pack on the sore area.
  
  

• Rest the sore joint.

If you still hurt after using your medicine correctly and doing one or more of these things, call your doctor. Another kind of medicine might work better for you. Some people can also benefit from surgery, such as joint replacement. (Source: excerpt from Do I have Arthritis: NIAMS)

Questions and Answers About Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, affecting an estimated 20.7 million adults in the United States. Osteoarthritis primarily affects cartilage, which is the tissue that cushions the ends of bones within the joint. Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage begins to fray, wear, and decay. In extreme cases, the cartilage may wear away entirely, leaving a bone-on-bone joint. Bony spurs (pointy bulges of bone) may form at the edges of the joint. Osteoarthritis can cause joint pain, reduced joint motion, loss of function, and disability. Disability results most often when the disease affects the spine and the weight-bearing joints (the knees and hips). (Source: excerpt from Questions and Answers About Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases: NIAMS)

Arthritis Advice - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Osteoarthritis (OA) , at one time called degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis in older people. Symptoms can range from stiffness and mild pain that comes and goes to severe joint pain and even disability. (Source: excerpt from Arthritis Advice - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Terms associated with Degenerative joint disease:

Terms Similar to Degenerative joint disease:

• OA
• Osteoarthritis

Source: Diseases Database

• osteoarthritis
• degenerative arthritis

Source - WordNet 2.1

Broader terms for Degenerative joint disease

• arthritis

Source - WordNet 2.1

The following terms can be used for Degenerative joint disease

• osteoarthritis

Source: CRISP

Hierarchical classifications of Degenerative joint disease

The following list attempts to classify Degenerative joint disease into categories where each line is subset of the next.

WordNet 2.1

• arthritis
• inflammatory disease
• disease
• illness,malady,sickness,unwellness
• health problem,ill health,unhealthiness
• pathological state
• condition,status
• state

Source: WordNet 2.1

External links related to: Degenerative joint disease

• Acetaminophen for osteoarthritis (Cochrane Review)
• Electromagnetic fields for the treatment of osteoarthritis (Cochrane Review)
• Osteoarthritis - MedPix™ Medical Image Database and Teaching Files
• Braces and orthoses for treating osteoarthritis of the knee (Cochrane Review)
• eMedicine - Osteoarthritis : Article by Furqan H Siddiqui, MBBCh
• Viscosupplementation for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee (Cochrane Review)
• Intensity of exercise for the treatment of osteoarthritis (Cochrane Review)
• eMedicine - Osteoarthritis : Article by Todd P Stitik, MD
• osteoarthritis - General Practice Notebook
• Non-aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for treating osteoarthritis of the knee (Cochrane Review)
• eMedicine - Osteoarthritis : Article by Eli Steigelfest, MD
• Exercise and Arthritis Fact Sheet
• Osteoarthritis
• OMIM - OSTEOARTHRITIS

Source: Diseases Database

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