What the Arthritis Foundation Website Offers

Arthritis.org is the website of the Arthritis Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on the prevention, control and cure of arthritis, which it describes as the nation's leading cause of disability. The site is built for people affected by arthritis and their families: it combines background on the condition with practical support, community connections, research and advocacy updates, and a helpline for individual questions. It is a general information and support resource, not a clinical service, so it is a starting point for understanding and managing arthritis rather than a substitute for care from your own health care team.

What the organization says about arthritis

The Foundation states that nearly 60 million adults and children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with arthritis, and that more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions damage the joints and often other organs. That framing explains the site's structure: content is organized both around arthritis as a broad category and around specific conditions and communities.

Main things you can do on the site

Get answers to individual questions

The Helpline is staffed by a trained team that answers questions about arthritis and how to manage it. According to the site, they can help with topics such as open enrollment for insurance, changes to Medicare drug plans, treatment options and navigating medical systems. This is the most direct route if your question is personal rather than general.

Learn the basics and go deeper

The site offers condition explainers, including a podcast episode on rheumatoid arthritis that covers what causes it, how it affects the body, how it is treated and what you can do to help manage it. It also hosts recorded webinars, such as "Whole Body Healing for Arthritis," which covers complementary and whole-body approaches to supporting overall health.

Find practical tools and community

Quick links on the site point to pain resources, exercise videos, a newly diagnosed section, treatment information and arthritis-friendly recipes. There is also a "Find Your Community" entry point and stories from people living with arthritis, including a feature on a family navigating juvenile arthritis and giving back to the Spanish-speaking arthritis community.

Download free guidance

The Foundation publishes e-books, including one on arthritis in the Hispanic community that covers common types of arthritis, treatment options, healthy habits and ways to take control of symptoms. The site presents these as downloads; no price is stated on the pages referenced here.

How the pieces fit together

Who it suits, and what to keep in mind

The site is most useful if you or a family member has been diagnosed with arthritis and you want plain-language explanations, vetted self-management ideas and a way to ask questions without booking an appointment. It is also a reasonable entry point for advocacy and research news if you want to follow the broader effort toward a cure.

Two limits are worth noting. First, the content is educational and organizational; decisions about your treatment belong with your own clinicians, and the Helpline can help you prepare questions and navigate systems rather than diagnose you. Second, the site is in English, though some materials, such as the Hispanic community e-book, are aimed at Spanish-speaking audiences — check the individual resource for the language it is offered in.