Troubling News about Arthritis

The first sign of arthritis, often just stiffness in your hand or an ache in your knee, goes ignored. Many of us believe arthritis only affects seniors--we are too young to have arthritis. Unfortunately, according to recent research, arthritis may start much earlier that previously thought.

According to Time Magazine, if you are within sight of middle age, you most likely have osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder in which the cartilage in the joints begins to break down. Arthritis was once thought to only affect seniors but now doctors believe that osteoarthritis begins its course as early as the teen years.

Because osteoarthritis is degenerative, you may not know you are a victim until your 40s or 50s when the disorder starts affecting your bones. Twinges in bones and joints are the most common sign that you may have osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, by that time, the damage has been done. Even the best treatments can't do much more than manage pain and try to maintain the current condition of degenerating joints.

At present, doctors believe that osteoarthritis affects more than 20 million Americans-this number is expected to grow to 40 million by 2020. In October, researchers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of a nationwide survey that measured the total burden of arthritis and chronic joint symptoms. Their findings are alarming: one-third of all American adults suffer from some type of joint disease.

Why is arthritis becoming an epidemic? Population is the first reason--the baby boomers are beginning their 50s which is the time when the symptoms of arthritis become noticeable. Secondly, five decades of jogging, aerobics, and sports like football, soccer and tennis can do severe damage to knees and hips. Finally, the weight of Americans is going up, causing more strain on joints.

While doctors and researchers work on finding ways to stop this degenerative disease, there are ways we can ease joint pain and get some immediate relief. For the 15% of sufferers who don't experience inflammation, over-the-counter pain relievers can control symptoms. When inflammation becomes involved, the answer becomes complicated. Some anti-inflammatories can help but may trigger dangerous, long-term side effects like internal bleeding.

 Lifestyle changes can make a difference too. Losing as little as 10 lbs. can take some strain off of your joints. Certain exercises may keep joints from stiffening and losing mobility.

A lot of effort has gone into learning how to replace damaged cartilage. Many arthritis sufferers find relief in dietary supplements that include Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Preliminary evidence suggests that Glucosamine, which is derived from lobster and crab shells, may help relieve arthritis pain by encouraging cartilage growth. Chondroitin is believed to help keep cartilage from breaking down. Many arthritis sufferers find relief in supplements that have a combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin.

Source: Time Magazine, December 9 issue

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