Arthritis is a very common medical diagnosis and condition in the general population and in people who attend physical therapy. Different types of arthritis can be due to different causes. Two common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In both conditions, there are factors such as exercise, joint protection, patient education, and activity modification that physical therapists can help with to improve function and quality of life in individuals with these diseases.

Check out this short video that I made recently for a class for physical therapy students explaining some of the differences between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and some of the evidence supported treatments for each.