HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Overview of osteoarthritis
Tirohanga whānui ki te pona ngoikore
Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes your joints to become painful and stiff.
It is the most common type of arthritis. It mainly affects people over the age of 40 but it can develop at any age.
Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body. But it usually affects large moveable joints such as your hips, knees and lower back. It can also affect your feet and hands. Particularly the base of your thumb and the end joints of your fingers.
Osteoarthritis is a whole joint disease. This means it affects many parts of the joint, including cartilage, bones, ligaments, the joint capsule, synovial membrane and muscles.
We do not fully understand how osteoarthritis works, but it appears to be an imbalance in the joint repair process. This leads to inflammation, a loss of cartilage and changes to the underlying bone.
Several things are thought to increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis, including:
- being overweight
- a previous injury to your joint or overusing your joint when it has not had enough time to heal after an injury or operation
- having a family history of osteoarthritis
- having other joint conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout or septic arthritis.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis progresses slowly and develops over many years. The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are:
- joint pain and stiffness
- problems moving the joint.
Some people also have the following symptoms:
- swelling in or near the joint
- muscle weakness
- a creaking or cracking sound when moving the joint.
Diagnosing osteoarthritis
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and may examine you. They will usually want to check what range of movement you have in your joints.
There are no specific blood tests for osteoarthritis. Your doctor will normally diagnose it based on your symptoms and their examination. An X-ray is not needed to diagnose osteoarthritis.
If your doctor suspects you might have a different condition, such as a form of rheumatoid arthritis, you may need to have some extra tests. Your doctor will arrange any extra tests that you need.
Treating osteoarthritis
There is no cure for osteoarthritis. But there are lifestyle measures and treatments that can help you manage your symptoms. They can also prevent joint changes from getting worse.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Arthritis New Zealand
Arthritis New Zealand's website. It provides information and support.
- Aotearoa Osteoarthritis Guidebook
A guidebook for people living with osteoarthritis. It was created with New Zealanders living with osteoarthritis.
On the next page: Self-care for osteoarthritis
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2024.
SourcesReview key: HIOST-35589
