If you have been told that you have arthritis, you probably have many questions about your disease, how it will affect your overall health, what your treatment will be and what you can do to help yourself to better health. Your physician and your health care team will be your best sources of information.

There are ways you can help yourself to health while following your physician’s treatment plan. What you do for yourself may be more important than-and is certainly as important as-taking your medication and appearing for physical therapy, if it has been prescribed for you.

Because controlling your arthritis is such a personal matter, participation on your part is essential to controlling your disease. You will want to learn all you can about arthritis. With a better understanding, you will be better able to follow your health care team’s recommendations.

It is often hard to absorb and interpret everything that is explained to you when you are in a new health centre or when you are embarking on a new treatment program. We also repeat some of the information you probably have been given by your doctor and other medical personnel and will help you follow your treatment routine appropriately.

You will want to build a comfortable, efficient, working relationship with your health care team as you learn to control your arthritis. By following your health care team’s recommendations, you can control your arthritis. You will work closely with your health care team to learn about medication, if it is prescribed for you, as well as about exercise, physical therapy, weight control and following a well-balanced diet. These factors, together with a healthy mental attitude, can help you.

While researchers strive for improvements in treatment, you will want to keep yourself in the best possible physical condition so that you will be able to benefit from future innovations in treatment. You are the best one to control your daily diet, keep your weight at a healthy level for your age and body build, and incorporate appropriate exercise into your daily routine.

Arthritis takes many forms, but the type that affects most widely is Osteoarthritis.

As you become better acquainted with arthritis you will want to increase your arthritis vocabulary. To help you incorporate the words relating to arthritis appropriately into your conversations with your doctor and health care team with glossary.