Nearly everyone, over the course of their lives, will experience some sort of joint pain. Chronic pain in the form of osteoarthritis is the mot common disorder affecting the joints and is nearly universal in people over the age of 80. For this reason, it is important that people know the symptoms of this degenerative disease, as well as some of the methods that doctors use to reduce pain and keep the joints healthy.

While osteoarthritis is common in people over age 80, it begins to manifest itself in people who are in their 40s and 50s. Below the age of 40, it is mostly men who have the degenerative joint disease and it is usually related to some sort of traumatic experience. From ages 40 to 70, though, it is mostly women who have osteoarthritis. By the time people hit their 80s, however, the distribution is even between men and women.

Osteoarthritis is referred to as a degenerative joint disease due to the loss of cartilage protecting the bones in the joints and the changes this loss of cartilage leads to. Pain in the joints, stiffness when using the affected joints, and occasional swelling are some of the symptoms indicating a potential loss of cartilage. It can begin with trauma, inflammation, or defects in the way the body makes and breaks down cartilage. » Read more: Osteoarthritis and Loss of Joint Mobility Due to Breakdown of Cartilage