RC931.O67A33

Includes index

Foreword xiii Acknowledgments xiv Introduction: Your Role as a Self-Manager xvii What is a Self-Manager? xvii The Five Habits of Successful Self-Managers xvii Part 1 Learn as Much as You Can Chapter 1 Understanding Osteoarthritis: A Common, Chronic Disease 3 What is Osteoarthritis? 3 What Happens in Osteoarthritis? 4 Who Gets Osteoarthritis? 4 What Causes Osteoarthritis? 5 The Role of Genes 5 The Impact of Excess Body Weight 6 How Injury and Overuse Affect Joints 7 What is It Like to Have Osteoarthritis? 8 Can Osteoarthritis Be Prevented? 8 Preventing Disability Once You Have Osteoarthritis 10 Chapter 2 Getting Informed: Resources for Arthritis Education 13 Stay Up-to-Date 13 Resources for Information 13 Part 2 Join Your Health-Care Team Chapter 3 Making the Diagnosis: Ways to Identify Your Disease 21 Seeing a Doctor 21 What Is a Medical History? 21 What's Involved in a Physical Exam? 23 What Tests Can I Expect? 24 What's the Doctor Looking For? 26 What Your Doctor Should Tell You 27 Worksheet: What to Tell Your Doctor 28 Chapter 4 Medical Managers: Working With Your Health-Care Team 31 Create a Successful Relationship 31 Members of Your Health-Care Team 31 How to Work Together 34 Chapter 5 Medical Options: Drug Therapies for Osteoarthritis 39 What Are the Treatments for Osteoarthritis? 39 Medications for Treating Osteoarthritis 40 Analgesics 40 NSAIDs 43 Injectable Corticosteroids 44 Hyaluronic Acid Therapy 44 Drugs Used in Treating Osteoarthritis 45 Chapter 6 Beyond Drugs: Other Therapies for Osteoarthritis 53 Follow Your Management Plan 53 Exercise 53 Weight Control 55 Physical and Occupational Therapy 56 Alternative and Complementary Therapies 57 Acupuncture 57 Chiropractic 59 Vitamins 60 Herbs and Supplements 60 Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate 62 Other Supplements 63 Worksheet: My Treatment Plan 65 Chapter 7 Surgery: The Benefits and Risks 67 What Are the Benefits of Surgery? 67 Improved Movement 67 Pain Relief 67 Improved Joint Alignment 67 The Risks of Surgery 68 Other Considerations 69 Types of Surgery 69 Arthroscopy 69 Osteotomy 69 Total Joint Replacement 70 Experimental Therapies 71 Part 3 Develop a Wellness Lifestyle Chapter 8 Positive Attitude: Adopting Good Living Strategies 75 Goal-Setting and Contracting 75 A Positive Self-Image 77 Self-Talk 77 Have a Sense of Control 79 Reduce the Negatives 79 Worksheet: The Best of Me 80 Have a Sense of Purpose 81 Have a Sense of Humor 82 Chapter 9 Getting Fit: Exercise Tips for Osteoarthritis 85 The Benefits of Exercise 85 Why Exercise? 86 What If You Don't Exercise? 86 Before You Get Started 87 Getting Started and Staying Motivated 87 Choosing the Right Exercises 88 A Note About Pain 94 Don't Go It Alone 94 Sample Exercises 96 Exercise Alternatives 109 Chapter 10 Diet Benefits: Maintaining Proper Weight for Joint Health 113 The Importance of Weight Control 113 The Keys to Successful Weight Loss 113 What Is a Healthy Diet? 114 Food Guide Pyramid 117 Reading Food Labels 118 Controlling Portion Sizes 119 Exercise for Weight Loss 120 More Tips 120 Part 4 Assume Responsibility for What You Can Control Chapter 11 Control the Hurt: Managing the Pain of Osteoarthritis 125 What Is Pain? 125 The "Gate" Theory of Pain 125 How to Manage Pain 127 Managing Chronic Pain 128 Using Heat and Cold 129 Worksheet: My Pain-Management Plan 130 Chapter 12 Avoiding Damage: Joint Protection Tips for Osteoarthritis 133 What Is Joint Protection? 133 Good Body Mechanics 133 Posture 134 Use Your Joints the Right Way 134 Balancing Activity and Rest 134 Get Organized 136 Self-Help Devices 136 Part 5 Master Emotional Challenges Chapter 13 Learning To Relax: Ways to Manage Stress Effectively 143 What Is Stress? 143 Positive Stress vs. Negative Stress 143 How Your Body Reacts to Stress 144 Physical Changes 144 Emotional Changes 145 Managing Stress 146 Diagnosing Your Stress Symptoms 146 Identifying the Causes of Your Stress 147 Changing and Managing the Causes of Stress 148 If You Can't Change the Situation, Change Your Outlook 150 Relaxing To Reduce the Effects of Stress 151 Guided Imagery 154 Massage 154 Prayer and Spirituality 154 Chapter 14 Emotional Challenges: Handling Grief and Depression 157 What Is Grief? 157 Getting Through Grief 157 What Is Depression? 159 Help for Emotional Challenges 159 Support Groups 159 Keeping a Journal 161 Professional Help 162 Chapter 15 Good Living: Communicating With Family and Friends 165 Develop Communication Skills 165 Getting the Information You Need 166 Dealing With Anger 166 Asking for Help 169 Responding to "How Are You?" 169 Getting Past Codependency 170 Talking With Your Partner About Sexuality 170 Rekindling the Romance 171 A Final Word 173 Glossary 175 Index 187 Resources for Good Living 205

Good Living With Osteoarthritis gives you the tools you need to live a healthy, abundant life. From clear explanations of your symptoms to easy exercise illustrations, you'll get sound advice on how to live life to its fullest. In this book you'll discover: Easy, effective ways to relieve your pain, Pros and cons of popular supplements and alternative therapies, A handy guide to the latest osteoarthritis drugs, Questions to ask before surgery, Real tips on reducing stress, Simple exercises anyone with osteoarthritis can follow, The keys to successful weight loss, A glossary of nearly 200 arthritis terms to know, Plus, you'll read inspiring personal stories by people living with osteoarthritis. Good Living With Osteoarthritis blends reliable medical information, practical coping strategies and motivational guidance you can really use