This can make daily activities such as dressing and foot care a challenge. Walking aids, medication, and exercise can help relieve pain and improve motion. The doctor may recommend hip replacement if the pain is severe and not helped by other methods. Stiffness and pain in the neck or in the lower back can result from osteoarthritis of the spine. Weakness or numbness of the arms or legs can also result.
Some people feel better when they sleep on a firm mattress or sit using back support pillows.
Others find help from heat treatment or an exercise program to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. In severe cases, the doctor may suggest surgery to reduce pain and help restore function. The knees are the body's primary weight-bearing joints. For this reason, they are among the joints most commonly affected by osteoarthritis. They may be stiff, swollen, and painful, making it hard to walk, climb, get in and out of chairs, and use bathtubs.