LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS

Health Information Basics for You and Your Family
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For your information

This publication contains information about medications used to treat the 

health condition discussed here. When this publication was printed, we 

included the most up-to-date (accurate) information available. Occasionally, 

new information on medication is released.

For updates and for any questions about any medications you are taking, 

please contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration toll free at 

888-INFO-FDA (888-463-6332) or visit its website at https://www.fda.gov. 

For additional information on specific medications, visit Drugs@FDA at 

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf. Drugs@FDA is a 

searchable catalog of FDA-approved drug products.

For updates and questions about statistics, please contact the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics toll 

free at 800-232-4636 or visit its website at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs.

This publication is not copyrighted. You may make copies of it and give out 

as many as you want.

For more copies, contact:

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin 

Diseases (NIAMS) Information Clearinghouse

National Institutes of Health

1 AMS Circle

Bethesda, MD 20892-3675

You can find this publication on the NIAMS website at

https://www.niams.nih.gov.
LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS

Health Information Basics for You and Your Family

Contents

What is arthritis?..................................................................1

What are the types of arthritis?.............................................3

Do I have arthritis?...............................................................4

What can I do? ....................................................................5

How will the doctor help?......................................................6

How should I use arthritis medicine? .....................................6

What if I still hurt?................................................................7

You can feel better!..............................................................8

Where can you find more information about arthritis? .............9

1

What is arthritis?

Many people start to feel pain and stiffness in their bodies over 

time. Sometimes their hands or knees or shoulders get sore 

and are hard to move and may become swollen. These people 

may have arthritis (ar-THRY-tis). Arthritis may be caused by 

inflammation (in-flah-MAY-shun) of the tissue lining the joints. 

Some signs of inflammation include redness, heat, pain, and 

swelling. These problems are telling you that something is wrong.
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Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or 

knee. Over time, in some types of arthritis but not in all, the joints 

involved can become severely damaged.

There are different types of arthritis. In some diseases in which 

arthritis occurs, other organs, such as your eyes, your chest, or 

your skin, can also be affected. Some people may worry that 

arthritis means they won’t be able to work or take care of their 

children and their family. Others think that you just have to accept 

things like arthritis.

It’s true that arthritis can be painful. But there are things you can 

do to feel better. This publication offers facts about arthritis and 

gives you some ideas about what to do so you can keep doing 

many of the things you enjoy.
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What are the types of arthritis?

There are several types of arthritis. Two of the most common 

ones are osteoarthritis (AH-stee-oh-ar-THRY-tis) and rheumatoid 

(ROO-mah-toyd) arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. This condition 

usually comes with age and most often affects the fingers, knees, 

and hips. Sometimes osteoarthritis follows an injury to a joint. For 

example, a young person might hurt their knee playing soccer. Or 

someone might fall or be injured in a car accident. Then, years 

after the individual’s knee has apparently healed, they might get 

arthritis in their knee joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the body’s own defense 

system doesn’t work properly. It affects joints and bones (often 

of the hands and feet), and may also affect internal organs and 

systems. You may feel sick or tired, and you may have a fever.

Another common type of arthritis, gout, is caused by crystals that 

build up in the joints. It usually affects the big toe, but many other 

joints may be affected.

Arthritis is seen with many other conditions. These include:

■	Lupus (LOOP-us), in which the body’s defense system 

can harm the joints, the heart, the skin, the kidneys, 

and other organs.

■	An infection that gets into a joint and destroys the cushion 

between the bones.
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Do I have arthritis?

Pain is the way your body tells you that something is wrong. Most 

types 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 pain in your joints, you may:

■	Have a fever.

■	Lose weight without trying.

■	Have trouble breathing.

■	Get a rash or itch.

These symptoms may also be signs of other illnesses.
5

What can I do?

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 what kind of arthritis you may have.
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How will the doctor help?

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.

How should I use arthritis medicine?

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.
7

What if I still hurt?

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.
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You can feel better!

Arthritis can damage your joints, internal organs, and skin. There 

are things you can do to keep the damage from getting worse. 

They might also make you feel better:

■	Try to keep your weight down. Too much weight can make 

your knees and hips hurt.

■	Exercise. Moving all of your joints will help you. The doctor 

or nurse can show you how to move more easily. Going for 

a walk every day will help, too.

■	Take your medicines 

when and how you 

are supposed to. They 

can help reduce pain 

and stiffness.

■	Try taking a warm 

shower in the morning.

■	See your doctor 

regularly.

■	Seek information 

that can help you.
9

Where can you find more information 

about arthritis?

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and 

Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Information Clearinghouse

National Institutes of Health 

1 AMS Circle

Bethesda, MD 20892-3675

Phone: 301-495-4484

Toll free: 877-22-NIAMS (226-4267) 

TTY: 301-565-2966

Fax: 301-718-6366

Email: NIAMSInfo@mail.nih.gov

Website: https://www.niams.nih.gov

If you need more information about available resources in your 

language or another language, please visit our website or contact 

the NIAMS Information Clearinghouse.

Other resources

Arthritis Foundation

Website: https://www.arthritis.org

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Website: https://www.aaos.org

American College of Rheumatology

Website: https://www.rheumatology.org
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In appreciation

NIAMS thanks the following people and organizations for their 

contribution to this project:

Graciela S. Alarcón, M.D., M.P.H., University of Alabama at 

Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; Gwendolyn Davis, Activity 

Specialist, First Baptist Senior Center, Washington, DC; Virginia 

González, M.P.H., Stanford Patient Education Center, Stanford 

University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA; John Klippel, M.D., 

Arthritis Foundation, Atlanta, GA; Carlos Lavernia, M.D., Miami, 

FL; Cynthia Lindquist Mala, Ph.D., M.P.A., President, Cankdeska 

Cikana Community College, Fort Totten, ND; Ted Mala, M.D., 

M.P.H., Lillian Perdomo, Executive Director of Multicultural 

Community Service, Washington, DC; Betty C. Proctor, Native 

Indian Sacred Earth Society, Brandywine, MD; Oscencio W. Tom, 

M.L.S., National Library of Medicine, NIH; the Arthritis Foundation, 

Atlanta, GA; the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 

Rosemont, IL; and the American College of Rheumatology, 

Atlanta, GA.

Special thanks go to the patients with arthritis who reviewed this 

publication and provided valuable input.
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Do you have arthritis 

or a related condition?

You may be able to help scientists 

learn more about these conditions.

For information about research projects 

across the country, call:

NIAMS

877-22-NIAMS (226-4267)

Email: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov

You could make a difference!
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Notes:
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The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and 

Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services’ National Institutes of Health (NIH), is to support research into the 

causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin 

diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this 

research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in 

these diseases. The NIAMS Information Clearinghouse is a public service 

sponsored by the NIAMS that provides health information and information 

sources. Additional information can be found on the NIAMS website at 

https://www.niams.nih.gov.
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NIH Publication No. 17-7050-E

August 2017