Osteoarthritis afflicts about 25 million people in the United States--two-thirds of all people over 65--and the numbers will only grow in the coming years as baby boomers age. Yet few who suffer from this disease know much about it--how to relieve the pain, what exercises might help lessen their suffering, how to cut down on visits to the doctor. In All About Osteoarthritis, two leading authorities on the disease--Nancy E. Lane and Daniel J. Wallace--join forces to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive discussion of osteoarthritis available, explaining what osteoarthritis is, how patients can help themselves, and how to find the best resources to manage the disorder. The authors offer information in a clear and accessible style, with detailed illustrations showing how key joints--knees, hips, fingers, backs, hands, and necks--degenerate. They take readers through the steps of diagnosis, how the body is affected, and ways to manage the disease. In user-friendly language, they describe all of the established treatment options, including new medications and their side effects, and help readers determine when surgery may be necessary. The authors also examine alternative treatments, clarifying which work, which may work, and which definitely do not. And they outline recent advances in the field and discuss where these breakthroughs may lead us. While osteoarthritis most acutely affects the elderly, it starts years before, and many people suffer the aches and pains of the condition well before old age. For aging baby boomers, much can be done before osteoarthritis becomes chronic and debilitating. This comprehensive guide will provide an excellent resource for patients and their families, caregivers, and medical professionals.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is the second most common cause of disability (and most common after age 65) in the United States, yet few patients know much about the condition or effective management strategies for it. All About Osteoarthritis aims to educate patients about what osteoarthritis is and how to cope with it.

Nancy E. Lane and Daniel J. Wallace, both rheumatologists and leading authorities on osteoarthritis, explain the disease in detail over 13 chapters, including chapters targeting the spine, upper body and extremities, and lower body. Diagrams clarify the medical descriptions. Next, 11 chapters cover management of the disease, including assistive devices, exercises (illustrated), medications, local medical therapies, and surgery. The authors discuss dietary supplements briefly, explaining which ones have supporting research.

The information is comprehensive and credible, but the style is dry ("in order to have arthritis, there must exist a problem with bones, joints, cartilage, or their supporting structures," for example), lacking the warmth, pep, and personality of most self-help health books. Recommended for arthritis sufferers who want current, credible information about their disease and don't mind an academic style. --Joan Price