Learn more from OA experts

Stanley Dysart: I don't think arthritis is preventable. Previously, it was thought about being a process of wear and tear but we now know that is not quite accurate. Arthritis is actually a disease that has a certain process that involves the lining of the joint, the cartilage and the bone. And the bone actually changes, you get spurs, you get cysts and even a change in the contour.

Jeffrey Rosen: ... although we cannot stop the progression of the disease we can slow that progression down through proper nutrition and diet, regular exercise, trying to maintain an ideal body weight and minimizing the trauma and impact on our knees and by keeping what we call healthy joints or healthy knees through good and proper muscular training.

SD: Well, you can modify the processes that create those changes, perhaps it is and that seems to be the holy grail of the problem

JR: The one thing that I would tell patients who was recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis is to understand that there are treatments available and that they need to consult their physician who takes care of their primary medical care, who may refer them to a musculoskeletal specialist to discuss all the available treatment options

SD: I would also want them to know that they have to participate in their own treatment. If overweight, lose weight. If they are not exercising, exercise. If their diet is inappropriate, change their diet, but if they will contribute to their own treatment, the results of their treatment will be much, much better than if they don't.