Do your joints hurt? Are they stiff? You may suffer from
osteoarthritis — the wear-and-tear type of arthritis. More than
40 million Americans suffer from the joint disorder.
Osteoarthritis, or OA, is joint degeneration stemming from
gradual loss of cartilage. It affects the hands, knees, hips and
spine most often. The common belief is OA is a consequence of
aging, but we know that is not true. Your risk, however, does
increase as you age. At least 80 percent of people older than 55
show signs of degeneration on X-rays, but not all of them have
pain. Women are two to three times more likely to suffer from
OA, and obesity is another risk factor. Work and sports also
play roles in OA. Any occupation — such as carpentry and
construction work — requiring heavy lifting, prolonged standing,
and squatting and kneeling makes the disorder more likely.
Running does not seem to increase the risk, but football,
soccer, wrestling, boxing, baseball pitching, cycling and
gymnastics do. The symptoms usually begin at the onset