What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive, degenerative joint disease, the most common form of arthritis, especially in older persons. Hereditary, developmental, metabolic, and mechanical factors may initiate processes leading to loss of joint cartilage and the development of OA.

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What is it like to have Osteoarthritis?

Common Symptoms Patients' Latest Severity My Current Severity  
Severity
Severe
Moderate
Mild
None
Joint crackling (crepitus) None Mild Moderate Severe
Joint pain None Mild Moderate Severe
Limited range of motion None Mild Moderate Severe

What do patients take to treat Osteoarthritis and its symptoms?

Commonly prescribed and frequently used treatments

Treatment name Efficacy Overall rating of side effects # of Evaluations
Physical Therapy (PT)
(Recumbent Stepper, Outpatient PT, PRRT, Pelvic Floor Therapy)
23
Naproxen OTC
(Equate Naproxen, Good Sense Naproxen Sodium, Kroger Naproxen Sodium, Members Mark Naproxen Sodium)
22
Capsaicin topical
(Zostrix)
9
Diclofenac
(Naklofen, Dicloflex, Cambia, Zipsor)
4
1

These charts show data from Osteoarthritis patients' latest treatment evaluations

Who has Osteoarthritis at PatientsLikeMe?

<20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+
Current Age
Distribution of females vs. males
Gender
90% Females
10% Males
Age at first symptom
Age at first symptom # of patients Proportion
0-19 yrs 111
20-29 yrs 196
30-39 yrs 351
40-49 yrs 376
50-59 yrs 157
60-69 yrs 21
70+ yrs 4
Diagnosis status
Diagnosis status # of patients Proportion
Diagnosed 1485
Not Officially Diagnosed 41

These charts show data from Osteoarthritis patients who have completed their condition history