Now What?
After suffering from stiff, numb, or painful joints for so long that you simply had to see a doctor, you now know that this suffering has been caused by osteoarthritis. Whether you were surprised by this diagnosis or not, finally receiving a diagnosis can be relieving in a lot of ways, simply because you now have a name for your condition. And if you know your condition, you can educate yourself regarding how to manage your health and lifestyle to minimize the impact of arthritis on your life. Here are a few tips. An Arthritis Primer Easily the most common form of arthritis, this condition affects nearly 30 million Americans every year. Symptoms can include stiffness and swelling, pain or numbness occurring in the joints. Specifically, arthritis causes the cartilage that connects the bones together to become inflamed. For instance, you may be experiencing stiffness in your wrists and fingers that make it hard for you to perform regular daily tasks such as writing or typing. Or, your