FINDINGS SUGGEST : The implementation of the small test of change educational session and exercise regimen decreased pain scale ratings and reduced the impact OA pain symptoms have on quality of life measures as determined by the Measure of OA Pain Self- Assessment Questionnaire and resulted in some decreases in pain medication consumption 90% of participants strongly agreed or agreed that education and exercise were beneficial for managing OA pain symptoms Further implementation of the education and exercise program is warranted in this setting with evaluations every three months to determine long-term effectiveness of this program BACKGROUND PURPOSE Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis in the United States and a debilitating disease for the elderly population. Because OA greatly impacts all aspects of life and there is no cure for the disease, symptom management is paramount for affected individuals. Target population: Elders (age 60 and +) diagnosed with Osteoarthritis Measures: OA pain, quality of life, and medication consumption Instrument: Measure of Osteoarthritis Pain Self-Assessment Questionnaire (Pre and Post) Intervention: Consenting patients fitting into the population of interest were provided with the Measure of OA Pain Self-Assessment Questionnaire- Pre. Patients were then educated about OA, disease management, and the importance of exercise. Patients were then given an exercise regimen to follow at home. Patients were asked to exercise for an average of 30 minutes per day for 5 days out of the week. Follow-up: After 3-4 weeks of exercising, patients were contacted via telephone or and answered questions from the Measure of OA Pain Self-Assessment Questionnaire-Post. *CONCLUSIONS* The purpose of this project is to determine if education and exercise are beneficial components of OA symptom management and if exercise leads to a reduction in pain symptoms and medication consumption of participating individuals. PICO SEARCH STRATEGY In elders diagnosed with osteoarthritis, is the addition of complementary and alternative medicine to standard treatment more effective than standard treatment alone in order to reduce pain levels, enhance quality of life, and decrease occurrences of medication interactions? Databases used for literature search included CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Medline, ERIC, PsycARTICLES, and the Cochrane Library. The literature search returned numerous randomized controlled trials, descriptive cross- sectional studies, and literature reviews. SMALL TEST OF CHANGE Pain Management in Elders Diagnosed with Osteoarthritis Andrea Sport, RN, BSN, MSN Graduate Student Kathy Jo Ellison, PhD, RN, Faculty Advisor Small Test of Change Results GenderNPercent Male440 Female`660 EthnicityNPercent Caucasian880 African American % Key References Wang, T., Lee, S., Liang, S., Tung, H., Wu, S., & Lin, Y. (2011). Comparing the efficacy of aquatic exercises and land-based exercises for patients with knee osteoarthritis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, doi: /j x Hiyama, Y., Yamada, M., Kitagawa, A., Tei, N., & Okada, S. (2011). A four-week walking exercise programme in patients with knee osteoarthritis improves the ability of dual-task performance: A randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 26(5), doi: / Coleman, S., Briffa, N.K., Carroll, G., Inderjeeth, C., Cook, N., & McQuade, J. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of a self-management education program for osteoarthritis of the knee delivered by health care professionals. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 14(1), R21. doi: /ar3703 VariableMeanSD Age Number of Years Diagnosed With OA Pain Self-Assessment total scores decreased from mean 8.4 (SD 3.3) to 5.9 (SD 4.4). Pain scale ratings decreased from mean 4.3 (SD 2.6) to 3.5 (SD 2.8)