Do you feel pain in your hand or shoulder when lifting a bag? Do you feel pain in your hip when bending down to look for your other brown boot under the bed? If so, you could be suffering from osteoarthritis.

There are so many forms of arthritis, and the most prevalent of them is osteoarthritis. It’s sometimes called OA, osteoarthrosis, and degenerative or wear-and-tear arthritis. While it can strike any joint in your body, it commonly occurs in the hands, spine, hips and knees.

How does this joint disease take place? A cartilage is a connective tissue found where bones form a joint. It provides cushion and lubrication necessary for movements. However, cartilages may get damaged through overuse or as you normally age. Pain and inflammation is present in affected areas of the body. Your movements become limited as well. Aside from overusing a body part and aging, other causative factors include: obesity, injury and even heredity.

As soon as you suspect you’re suffering from it, it’s important that you immediately see your doctor. A physical examination should reveal whether or not you’re afflicted with the disease. Based on the findings, a treatment mode will have to be given, to help deal with the signs and symptoms.

It’s not unlikely for medications to be prescribed. Analgesic has to be taken for pain. While for swelling, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are usually given. For severe cases, there are also medications administered through injection.

As mentioned earlier, obesity can be a causative factor. If such is your case, then it’s important for you to shed off unnecessary pounds. Adapting a particular diet recommended by your doctor will help you lose weight, thus relieving excessive pressure on your joints. Such diet will also exclude foods that may worsen the condition.

A physical or occupational therapist will provide you with some exercise routines. Such routines will help stabilize the muscles around the joints. And at the same time enhancing the flexibility or the affected bone joints. Performing these exercise routines will help you increase your otherwise limited motion.

Glucosamine is a type of protein produced by the body, and is necessary for building and repairing cartilages. But as you age, its production wears down. That’s why taking supplements like Kirkland glucosamine tablets will assist regaining the health of your joints. Omega-3 fatty acids, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and chrondroitin are other substances known to be beneficial for the joints.

If your osteoarthritis is mild, the above remedies might help you lead a normal life once more. In no time, you’ll be back doing your usual activities, like playing your ibanez acoustic electric guitar. However, for severe cases, undergoing surgery may be necessary to relieve the pain or damage.

According to studies, 46 million people in the US alone suffer from a form of arthritis. This joint disease constrains into early retirement employee who fail to perform a range of physical activities. The person more or less has no other choice but to take on a sedentary lifestyle.

To cope better with arthritis, it’s important that one knows what it is. Arthritis is actually a collection of joint diseases, the number of which amounting to more than 100 types. Causative factors and indicating signs are the basis for classifications. Although there are several different forms, it is said that there are two that are the most prevalent of all.

As we age, cartilage between joints goes through wearing and tearing. In severe cases, this could lead to osteoarthritis (OA). Obesity and repeated demanding physical activities also contribute to the development of OA. Joints that usually suffer from it are the weight bearing ones, like the knees and hips. But it may also attack other frequently used and abused joints, such as the shoulders, elbows and hands.

On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder. This means that your own body is responsible for the joint disease. Your immune system, for unknown reasons, attacks you joints. This chronic and painful inflammatory disease can affect people at any age, even those in their early 20’s. Also, RA affects both sides of the body in a symmetrical fashion. For example, if the fingers on your right hand got RA, those on your left hand also suffers from it.

Pain and inflammation are usually dealt with through medications. For pain, a doctor typically prescribes analgesics, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. For swelling, NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) are administered. In severe cases, steroids are directly injected into the joints. Steroids administered by injection pose lesser side effects than an orally taken form.

Gentle exercise can help improve the mobility of the joints. However, during flare ups, this may not be possible at all. For instance, if you have leg arthritis, walking may help prevent stiffness, but not when it’s around accompanied by pain. During such time, mobility is greatly reduced.

Natural remedies are preferred by some people. This is especially true if medications fail to work on them, or they want less costly alternatives. Such natural remedies include a diet of raw fruits and vegetables to increase the alkalinity of the body. There are also supplements like fish oils, vegetarian glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Such supplements are said to help in the repair of worn out cartilage, and increase joint lubrication.