Rheumatology

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. It usually develops gradually, leading to sore or stiff joints (particularly in the hands, hips and knees), stiffness after resting and pain that is worse after activity or at the end of the day.

We wrote the guidelines for osteoarthritis care

If you’re seeking treatment or a clinical trial for osteoarthritis, you want to be in the best hands possible. Well, at Tufts Medical Center, you can be.

Our rheumatologists include some of the top osteoarthritis researchers in the world. We have published numerous papers on the causes of and treatments for OA and have been involved in international collaborations to write the guidelines for best treatment practices. We also have received a number of grants from the National Institutes of Health to support our research and to offer cutting edge clinical trials.

Treatment options

Led by Dr. Timothy McAlindon, a leader in OA research and treatment, our OA program is focused on relieving your pain and restoring function as much as possible.

We work closely with your primary care physician and Tufts MC orthopedic surgeons to optimize care for our patients with OA, using medication and non-medication based approaches. These treatment options include:

• Braces
• Physical therapy
• Injections of medications into the joint
• Oral medications
• Topical medications
• Surgery when appropriate

At Tufts MC, you'll also have access to the Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, which uses alternative medicine therapies to improve health outcomes for patients with chronic medical conditions.