If you or someone you know suffers from arthritis, delve into the Web sites of these nationally and internationally known arthritis-related organizations. You will unearth information about different conditions, treatments, community groups, and more.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
http://www.aaos.org/
AAOS provides education and practice management services for orthopedic surgeons and allied health professionals. The academy also serves as an advocate for improved patient care and informs the public about the science of orthopedics.

American College of Rheumatology (ACR)
http://www.rheumatology.org/
ACR is the professional organization of rheumatologists and associated health professionals who share a dedication to healing, preventing disability, and curing the more than 100 types of arthritis and related disabling and sometimes fatal disorders of the joints, muscles, and bones.

American Pain Foundation (APF)
http://www.painfoundation.org/default.asp
The American Pain Foundation is a nonprofit information resource and patient advocacy organization serving people with pain. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of people with pain by providing practical information for patients, raising public awareness and understanding of pain, and advocating against barriers to effective treatment.

Arthritis Foundation
http://www.arthritis.org
The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control, and cure of arthritis and related diseases. The foundation provides grants to researchers to help find a cure, prevention, or better treatment for arthritis. It also provides a large number of community-based services nationwide to make life with arthritis easier.

Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP)
http://www.rheumatology.org/arhp/index.asp
Members of the ARHP are non-physician healthcare professionals specializing in rheumatology. The ARHP—a division of the American College of Rheumatology—includes nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, and other healthcare professionals.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/arthritis/index.htm
In the Arthritis: The Nation's Leading Cause of Disability section, the CDC discusses the prevalence of arthritis and presents a comprehensive public health approach to reducing the burden of this disease in the United States.

Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery
http://rheumatology.hss.edu
The Division of Rheumatology of The Hospital for Special Surgery provides patient care, clinical training fellowships, fellowship training in basic and clinical research methodology, and community programs to educate and assist patients. It disseminates up-to-date, reliable, and useful medical musculoskeletal information to physicians, patients, and caregivers.

Hospital for Special Surgery
http://www.hss.edu/
The Hospital for Special Surgery is one of the premier hospitals for orthopaedics, rheumatology, and rehabilitation in the United States.

Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center
http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/
The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center provides a high-quality, interactive, educational program for healthcare professionals about diseases that cause arthritis and their treatments. This Web site focuses primarily on rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis since these diseases serve as prototypes for inflammatory and degenerative joint diseases, respectively.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
http://www.nih.gov/niams/
NIAMS leads the federal government's research effort into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress to improve public health.