Osteoarthritis Health Center

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Features Related to Osteoarthritis

Should You Have Knee or Hip Replacement Surgery?

Once considered high-tech, joint replacements are now a common operation. Surgeons replace more than a million hips and knees each year in the U.S. Studies show joint replacements can significantly relieve pain and increase mobility in about 90% of people who get them. "Joint replacement can be a li
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For Women: OA Risk Factors and Coping Tips

You used to climb stairs, lift toddlers, and work in the garden with ease. Now osteoarthritis makes these activities difficult and painful for you. You're not alone. Nearly 27 million Americans have osteoarthritis. And about 16 million of them are women. If you are a woman with osteoarthritis, don't
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Tai Chi for Arthritis Relief

The movements of tai chi are gentle, graceful, mystical -- and a safe way to relieve arthritis pain and gain balance, strength, and flexibility. Tai chi is one of many alternative therapies that can provide relief from pain, possibly letting you cut back on pain medications. Early mornings in large
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6 Ways to Ruin Your Knees

Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a weekend warrior, or totally laid-back when it comes to exercise, knowing how to protect your knees from damage can mean the difference between a fulfilling lifestyle and longterm, strained mobility. Cruising on the track in the heat of a roller derby match, 27-y
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Could Losing Weight Ease Your Arthritis Pain?

For 12 years, Robin Lutchansky spent most of her time in a wheelchair. The pain from her severe osteoarthritis, first diagnosed in her early 30s, made it difficult to walk more than short distances. Then, a little over three years ago, Lutchansky found her way to a pain management clinic that taught
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Knee and Hip Exercises for Osteoarthritis

The old slogan, “Move it or lose it,” goes double, or perhaps triple, for people with osteoarthritis. “Just like for anyone else, physical activity is important for overall health,” says Steffany Haaz, PhD, a health behaviorist at the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. “But it’s even more important for
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Keep Your Joints Healthy Every Day

Living with osteoarthritis is a long-term proposition. It’s your job to stay active and keep your joints healthy so that you can do the things you want and need to do, as independently as you can, for as long as you can. “There’s nothing that I as a physician can do to slow the progression of osteoa
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Weight Loss Strategies to Help Ease Osteoarthritis Pain

It makes perfect sense if you think about it: carting around extra weight in your middle, for example, places a burden on your knees and hips. And study after study shows that this extra stress can put you at risk for developing osteoarthritis (OA), the wear-and-tear form of the disease. Being overw
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Dealing With Osteoarthritis? Try WebMD's Joint-Friendly Walking Program

The hardest part of starting an exercise program is, well ... getting started. This can be an especially daunting task if you have osteoarthritis (OA), the wear-and-tear form of arthritis which causes joint pain and loss of function for 27 million Americans. But "the more you move, the better you wi
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5 Facts and Fictions About Osteoarthritis

The earth is flat, eggs are bad for you, and arthritis is a natural part of aging. Each of these once long-held beliefs are myths of course, but repeat one often enough and just about any myth can start to sound like fact. With more than 100 types of arthritis, it's easy to see how a little misinfor
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