Okuzeka
Physiotherapy vocabulary · Musculoskeletal Conditions

Osteoarthritis

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/ˌɑːstioʊɑːrˈθraɪtɪs/nounCore term

In physiotherapy, osteoarthritis means: A long-term joint condition in which the cartilage covering the ends of the bones gradually wears down, causing pain, stiffness and sometimes swelling.

In Turkish: osteoartrit, kireçlenme

How it is used

Most common in the knees, hips and hands, and often shortened to OA. Patients may call it 'wear and tear' or simply 'arthritis'. Physiotherapy focuses on exercise, education and, where needed, walking aids; strengthening and staying active are central to most guidelines.

Example sentences

  1. The X-rays show moderate osteoarthritis in both knees.

  2. Exercise is one of the core treatments for hip osteoarthritis.

Common collocations

  • knee osteoarthritis
  • hip osteoarthritis
  • severe osteoarthritis
  • manage osteoarthritis
  • stiffnessA feeling that a joint or muscle is tight and hard to move, often worse after rest or first thing in the morning.
  • joint replacementAn operation in which a damaged joint, most often a hip or knee, is replaced with an artificial one made of metal, plastic or ceramic.
  • strengtheningExercise that makes muscles stronger by asking them to work against a load, such as body weight, an elastic band or weights.
  • chronicDescribes a condition or pain that has lasted a long time, usually more than three months, or that keeps coming back.

More terms: Musculoskeletal Conditions

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.