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Osteoarthritis - Symptom

Alternative Names

Hypertrophic osteoarthritis; Osteoarthrosis; Degenerative joint disease; DJD; OA; Arthritis - osteoarthritis

Symptoms:

The symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

Deep aching joint pain that gets worse after exercise, or putting weight on it, and is relieved by rest
Grating of the joint with motion
Joint pain in rainy weather
Joint swelling
Limited movement
Morning stiffness

Some people might not have symptoms.

Signs and tests:

A physical exam can show:

Grating of a joint with motion
Joint swelling
Limited range of motion
Tenderness

An x-ray of affected joints will show loss of the joint space, and in advanced cases, wearing down of the ends of the bone and bone spurs.

Osteoarthritis

Reviewed last on: 5/5/2008
Andrew L. Chen, MD, MS, Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, The Alpine Clinic, Littleton, NH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Gregory PJ, Sperry M, Wilson AF. Dietary supplements for osteoarthritis. Am Fam Physician. 2008;77:177-184.

Glass GG. Osteoarthritis. Dis Mon. 2006;52:343-362.

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