What Is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It develops when joint cartilage, bone, and nearby tissues change over time, which can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced movement. It often affects the knees, hips, feet, hands, and spine.

If you want a broader overview of arthritis, start there. If you want a more detailed condition guide, visit our main osteoarthritis page.

Osteoarthritis often builds gradually. However, symptoms can flare after joint overload, past injury, reduced activity, or changes in strength and mobility.

Common osteoarthritis symptoms

Joint pain that often worsens with activity
Morning stiffness or stiffness after rest
Swelling, tenderness, or reduced range of motion
Grinding, clicking, or creaking in the joint
Difficulty walking, climbing stairs, gripping, or getting up from a chair

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What causes osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis develops when a joint no longer handles load as well as it once did. Ageing, previous injury, repetitive stress, reduced muscle support, excess body weight, and genetics can all contribute to joint changes over time.

Although many people call it “wear and tear”, osteoarthritis is more complex than that. The cartilage, bone, joint lining, and surrounding muscles can all play a role. Some people show clear X-ray changes with very little pain, while others have significant symptoms with less obvious imaging findings.

How do you know if osteoarthritis is causing your pain?

Osteoarthritis is usually suspected from your symptoms, your joint movement, and how the area responds to loading. An X-ray can help confirm joint changes, but diagnosis should always match the full clinical picture.

A physiotherapist or doctor will usually ask about stiffness, swelling, function, activity limits, and aggravating tasks. They will also assess movement, strength, balance, and nearby joints. If symptoms suggest another condition, they may also consider problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis.

For a broader consumer overview, Healthdirect explains osteoarthritis symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Important: X-ray findings do not always match pain levels. Some people have obvious osteoarthritis on imaging with little pain, while others have significant pain and stiffness with more modest scan changes.

Which joints does osteoarthritis affect most often?

Osteoarthritis most often affects the knees, hips, hands, feet, and spine. These joints deal with repeated load, daily movement, and age-related change.

Knee and hip osteoarthritis often affect walking, stairs, and exercise tolerance. Hand osteoarthritis can affect gripping and fine motor tasks. Spinal osteoarthritis may contribute to stiffness and painful movement. If your pain is more widespread or behaves differently, your clinician may also consider broader arthritis patterns.

If your main concern is a specific region, you may also find these pages helpful:
knee pain,
hip pain,
hand and wrist pain, or
back pain.

How is osteoarthritis treated?

Osteoarthritis treatment usually aims to reduce pain, improve movement, build strength, and help you stay active. Most people improve with a combination of education, exercise, load management, and symptom relief strategies.

Research supports exercise therapy as a key part of osteoarthritis care, especially for hip and knee osteoarthritis. The right program can help improve pain, function, confidence, and day-to-day tolerance.

Physiotherapy often focuses on joint mobility, muscle strength, balance, walking tolerance, and confidence with daily activities. Treatment may also include pacing, temporary activity modification, footwear advice, and weight management support where relevant.

Some people also benefit from medication or injections through their doctor. Surgery is usually reserved for more advanced or persistent cases that do not respond well to conservative care.

Can physiotherapy help osteoarthritis?

Physiotherapy may help osteoarthritis by improving joint movement, muscle support, walking confidence, and activity tolerance. It can also help you decide which activities to keep doing, which to modify, and how to progress safely.

If you have ongoing joint pain, a tailored program is usually more useful than complete rest. Our Rheumatology Physiotherapy service may also help if arthritis symptoms are affecting your daily life, work, or exercise.

Treatment often includes

Education about osteoarthritis and flare-ups
Targeted strengthening and mobility exercises
Load management and pacing advice
Walking, balance, and movement retraining
Help returning to daily activities and exercise

When should you seek help for osteoarthritis?

You should seek help if joint pain, swelling, stiffness, or reduced movement is limiting your walking, sleep, work, sport, or usual daily activities. Early guidance may help you stay more active and comfortable.

Prompt assessment is especially important if the joint is hot, very swollen, suddenly much worse, locking, giving way, or linked with fever or unexplained weight loss. These features may suggest something other than straightforward osteoarthritis.

What to do next

If you think osteoarthritis may be affecting you, the next step is to get the joint properly assessed and match treatment to your symptoms, goals, and daily load. Good care is not just about what an X-ray shows. It is about helping you move better, feel more confident, and function more comfortably.

You can also explore related topics such as fibromyalgia, lupus, and our main osteoarthritis guide if you want more detail before booking.

Next step: if joint pain or stiffness is stopping you from walking, exercising, working, or sleeping well, a physiotherapy assessment can help clarify the cause and guide the right treatment plan.

Frequently asked questions about osteoarthritis

Is osteoarthritis the same as normal ageing?

No. Age increases the chance of osteoarthritis, but it is not simply a normal or inevitable part of ageing. Previous injuries, loading history, muscle weakness, body weight, and genetics can all influence whether symptoms develop.

Does an X-ray always match how much pain you feel?

No. Some people have clear osteoarthritis changes on X-ray with little pain, while others have more pain than their scan suggests. That is why symptoms, function, and clinical assessment matter as much as imaging.

Should you stop exercising if you have osteoarthritis?

Usually no. Complete rest often leads to more stiffness, weakness, and reduced confidence. A better approach is to modify exercise, manage flare-ups, and gradually rebuild strength and tolerance with the right advice.

Can osteoarthritis affect younger adults?

Yes. Osteoarthritis is more common with age, but younger adults can develop it, especially after joint injuries, repeated high loads, surgery, or longstanding biomechanical issues.

Can physiotherapy help if your osteoarthritis is advanced?

Yes, in many cases. Physiotherapy may still help improve strength, mobility, pacing, walking tolerance, and day-to-day function. It can also help prepare you for surgery or support recovery afterwards if surgery becomes necessary.