Osteoarthritis

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. It's a chronic, degenerative joint disease caused by the breakdown of joint cartilage. It can occur in any joint, but it most often affects the hands, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, or spine. The pain of osteoarthritis can force you to limit the activities you perform every day, from using your computer to carrying a bag of groceries. Daily, constant pain can even reduce your participation in social events and your time with family and friends.

Risk factors for osteoarthritis include:

Obesity
Heredity
Injury and overuse

Schedule an appointment with a UR Medicine provider.

Call (585) 275-5321

UR Medicine's Treatments for Osteoarthritis

Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. The goal of treatment is to ease joint pain and stiffness, and improve joint movement.

Osteoarthritis Treatments

Medicines. These may include pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines.

Exercise. Regular exercise may help ease pain and other symptoms. This may include stretching and strength exercises.

Physical and occupational therapy. These types of therapy may help ease joint pain, improve joint flexibility, and reduce joint strain.

Weight maintenance. Keeping a healthy weight, or losing weight if needed, may help prevent or ease symptoms.

Injections of a lubricant or corticosteroids. Lubricants mimic normal joint fluid and corticosteroids reduce pain and swelling.

Joint surgery. You may need surgery to repair or replace a joint that has severe damage.

Patient Stories

Doug's Story

Doug Hendee was highly active, but arthritis threatened to take that away. Watch how Doug got his life back.

What Sets Us Apart?

We offer the region’s most advanced care and widest range of treatment options for all joint, bone, muscle pain and injuries.

Our proactive yet conservative approach gets results. While no one can cure your osteoarthritis, we can help you live better with it using a proven and multifaceted approach, including the support of UR Medicine specialists available in multiple clinic locations.

Because we’re an academic medical center, we also lead research studies so we can stay on the forefront of the latest developments in care.

Our Hip and Knee Arthritis Clinic is the only center of its kind in the region. Our clinic focuses exclusively on hip and knee arthritis, providing the very latest non-surgical approaches for reducing arthritic pain.

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Image: We can help patients restore AND enhance function: whether they are recovering from injury or managing a chronic disease, or want to improve their fitness and maximize their physical performance.
Image: At the Center for Human Athleticism and Musculoskeletal Performance and Prevention (CHAMPP), we will provide people of all fitness levels the best care and training to allow them to be at their peak fitness level before, during and after any activity.
Image: Rooms that feature Synergy’s Clean Cube™ technology, which uses modular, pre-engineered materials to create a surgical space that promotes the highest level of infection prevention for patient safety.
Image: The Saunders Center for Orthopedics & Physical Performance can help you restore and maintain a life in motion.

What You Can Expect

Advanced care and a comfortable environment. Our patients have access to the newest treatments and most advanced orthopaedic operating rooms. Our hospital locations are easy to navigate and provide the compassionate care you expect.
Our new Orthopaedic & Physical Performance Center in Henrietta was designed to provide nation-leading safe and efficient care for patients, even those who need to stay overnight.
An experienced team and specialized care. Because our physicians have advanced training and expertise, they can treat the most complex medical conditions.