For Healthcare Providers

How you can help your patients and increase your clinical knowledge of OA

The recommended starting treatment for all patients with knee OA are land and water based exercise, weight management, strength training and self-management education.

Exercise (land, water and strength)

Recommend an increase in general physical activity and preform physical performance measures to determine the physical function of your patients. You may also consider starting a “Walk with a Doc” chapter in your community. We have developed several briefs for the Walk with a Doc program online Walk Topics library under “Arthritis.” Walk leaders can download these briefs to share with their walkers. Learn more here!

Self-management Education and Weight Management 

Share our weight management brochures, and give them the link to the Arthritis Foundation Resource Finder in order to locate evidence-based programs in their neighborhood.

Evidence-based Program Information for Clinicians

• OAAA Walk With Ease issue brief for Clinical Providers
• APTA Walk With Ease Fact Sheet for Clinical Providers
• Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services Prescription Pad

Clinical care guidelines

• Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)
  • Physical Performance Measures – OARSI recommended set of physical performance measures for knee and hip osteoarthritis
  • Treatment Guidelines – Clinical Trial Guidelines, Treatment Guidelines and related information
  • Outcome Measures – Pain indexes, radiological indexes, and ICOAP pain questionnaire

• Center for Enhancing Activity & Participation among Persons with Arthritis (ENACT): Tools for Practitioners – Tools for healthcare providers and researchers to use for clinical care, education, and research outcomes.

• American Chronic Pain Association
  • Quality of Life Scale
  • Living with Arthritis Ability Chart
  • Live Better with Pain log
  • Communication Tools

• A systematic review of recommendations and guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis: The chronic osteoarthritis management initiative of the U.S. bone and joint initiative. Nelson, et al., Semin Arthritis Rheum 2014 (abstract)

Walk With a Doc Briefs

Walk with a Doc maintains an online “Walk Topics” library of mini-lectures, or lecturettes, that walk leaders everywhere can download and share with their walkers. These lecturettes are quick and easy to read and digest for people who have arthritis and healthcare providers, alike.

• Osteoarthritis: An Overview
• Arthritis: Key Public Health Messages
• Arthritis and Walking
• Exercises to Prevent Falls
• Myths about Osteoarthritis