Arthritis flare guide

Osteoarthritis flare treatment online in Virginia and West Virginia

This guide is for a flare of previously diagnosed osteoarthritis, not for a hot swollen joint, an injury, or arthritis that was never diagnosed by a clinician.

Start online

Start a $59 online review for Osteoarthritis flare.

Review for adults whose osteoarthritis was previously diagnosed by a clinician and who have a flare of their usual joint pain and stiffness without a hot, swollen joint, injury, or fever: activity pacing, heat and ice, a home strengthening program, weight guidance, and at the physician's discretion one bounded topical or screened oral anti-inflammatory course, at most twice in 12 months.

If treatment is appropriate, your physician can send a non-controlled prescription to your pharmacy and provide portal instructions for the next step.

Start this visit See response windows

Quick facts

You must be physically located in Virginia or West Virginia at the time of request.
Starts at $59
No insurance needed
No app download
Physician review around the clock
Non-controlled prescriptions can be sent to your pharmacy when appropriate
A work or school note can be included when medically appropriate
Response windows: 24/7, every day

Common symptoms

Known knee, hip, or hand arthritis that is achy and stiff
Flare after activity like yard work
No swelling that feels hot

May fit online care

Adults 18 and older
Arthritis previously diagnosed by a clinician
No hot, red, swollen joint or fever
No fall, twist, or blow to the joint
Fewer than two prior flare requests in 12 months

Look for another care setting

A hot, red, swollen joint, or fever or chills
A fall, twist, or blow with sudden swelling, deformity, or inability to bear weight, or one-sided calf swelling, warmth, or redness
A joint that locks or gives way, or new numbness, tingling, or weakness in the limb
New pain at rest or at night that is different from your usual arthritis

What to have ready

Which joint and when the arthritis was diagnosed
What triggered this flare
How many similar flares you've had treated in the past year
Whether the joint feels hot or looks swollen

What happens next

Standard

$59

Within 6 hours

Priority

$99

Within 3 hours

Rush

$149

Within 1 hour

Start the request on the website, answer the fit questions, and choose the response window you want. If the concern still fits this service, a physician reviews it and sends a secure update after sign-in. When appropriate, non-controlled prescriptions can be sent to your pharmacy, and a basic work or school note can be included at physician discretion.

Your physician

Every visit is personally reviewed by Ankur Fadia, MD — board-certified, cardiology-fellowship-trained, and Alpha Omega Alpha. Licensed in Virginia and West Virginia — your care is never handed off.

Verify Virginia medical license Verify West Virginia medical license Verify board certification

How is a flare different from a joint infection?

A usual arthritis flare doesn't come with a hot, red, swollen joint or fever — those signs suggest possible infection or gout and need same-day evaluation instead.

How often can I use this lane?

At most twice in 12 months for a bounded anti-inflammatory course. Frequent flares need a longer-term plan with your regular clinician rather than repeated online courses.

What if my arthritis was never formally diagnosed?

This lane is for previously diagnosed osteoarthritis. If a clinician hasn't diagnosed it yet, an in-person evaluation is the right first step.

Related conditions we treat

Not quite what you have? These are the closest concerns this service covers.

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