We’ve selected these apps based on their quality, user reviews, and overall reliability as a source of support for people living with OA. If you want to nominate an app for this list, email us at nominations@healthline.com.
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These apps make it easier to learn about OA and its treatments. They put the latest research, treatment options, exercises, and information at your fingertips.
iPhone rating: not yet rated
Android rating: ★★★★★
Price: Free
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage is the journal for the OsteoArthritis Research Society International, a publication that provides the latest research on OA to the many medical professionals who are involved in treatment. This app puts research and clinical information in the palm of your hand. You can interact with charts, stream multimedia, take notes, save a reading list, and share content through email and social media. The app is free, but in order to get full access to content you’ll need a subscription to access the journal.
iPhone rating: ★★★✩✩
Android rating: ★★★★✩
Price: Free
A large part of preventing arthritis pain is learning to modify your daily activities and practice healthy habits. Track + React makes it easier for you to pay attention to your habits and see how they’re affecting your pain. The app lets you log nutrition, exercise, sleep, medications, and mood. It then keeps track of the information in graphs. Over time, the impact graphs show you which behaviors are causing arthritis flares. Track + React also includes advice and tips from the Arthritis Foundation.
Android rating: ★★★★✩
Price: Free
Osteoarthritis is common in knee joints. Helping to strengthen the surrounding muscles can take pressure off the joint and reduce pain. This app shows you how to practice yoga to increase strength and flexibility in the knees. Follow along with several different videos selected specifically for people with knee arthritis.
Android rating: ★★★★✩
Price: Free
Late stages of OA can become painful enough to require knee replacement surgery. Knee Buddy was designed by medical professionals to help you learn about arthritis and what’s involved with knee replacement. The app includes information about knee anatomy, rehabilitation exercises, and more. Its care content section starts with preventive care and goes through post-operative care. Use the app to practice exercises at home and learn more about knee arthritis.
iPhone rating: ★★★★★
Android rating: ★★★★★
Price: Free
Jointfully helps you track and treat your arthritis. The app lets you record movement and activity goals, medication, weight, mood, pain levels, and blood pressure. You can then share the information with your doctor to help develop a treatment plan. Jointfully also includes tips for reducing arthritis pain and video tutorials for physical therapy exercises.
Android rating: ★★★★✩
Price: Free
Exercises that strengthen muscles help put less pressure on joints. That’s why regular activity can reduce arthritis pain. Arthritis Physio is a compilation of exercises designed by a physiotherapist to improve strength, flexibility, posture, core stability, balance, and coordination. The app also includes information and answers to questions, like: How do I know I have osteoarthritis?
Android rating: ★★★★✩
Price: Free
If you’re new to arthritis, there’s a good chance you might need help identifying the symptoms and learning how to manage pain. This app is designed for anyone who’s experiencing joint pain and doesn’t know the cause. It provides information on a variety of different types of arthritis — including osteoarthritis — and lets you know treatment options for each, including medication, diet, and exercise plans.
Rena writers about healthy living and design. She holds a B.S. in English and has been writing as a freelance writer for five years. In her spare time, she grows an organic urban garden and helps plan activities for children in a low-income community in Washington D.C.