Arthritis is a painful condition that may stop you from doing the things that you love. The pain of this condition can affect almost any and every joint of the body. It most often affects the hands, knees, hips, neck and also the lower back. The condition gets worse over time and no cure is known. There are, however, treatments that can bring pain relief and help the patient become active once again.

While doctors are unsure of the actual cause of osteoarthritis, it is suspected that the condition is caused by several contributing factors. These factors include: aging, injury, heredity, weak muscles and obesity.

People do not normally begin to be aware of osteoarthritis until they reach about forty. This particular form of arthritis is more likely to develop in women. Sports injury are once of the factors that have been linked to the disease. Additionally, if your work puts extra stress on your joints it may be a factor in its development.

Often osteoarthritis becomes worse with age. The pain can become so severe that a person is no longer able to work or enjoy their favorite hobbies. The condition may develop to the point that a doctor encourages the person to have joint replacement surgery.

Several medications do help with the disease. Some of these are available over the counter and include acetaminophen that helps with pain, NASIDs that help with both pain relief and to relieve swelling. Ibuprofen is a NASID.

If over the counter medications are not treating the pain effectively, your doctor may prescribe Tramadol, or stronger pain killers such as Darvon or codeine. Finally he may prescribe cortisone shots.

In addition, some people find help from a natural remedy called glucosamine. This naturally occurring substance is useful in rebuilding the skeletal structure that may have been lost due to osteoarthritis. Costco offers their own Kirkland glucosamine that is affordable and a very good product.

Once you find relief for the pain caused by arthritis, you will begin to feel better. You may feel so much better that you decide to pick up an old hobby that has been laid aside due to your pain from arthritis.

It may be time to dust off the old dreadnought acoustic guitar and play a few tunes or get together with the old garage band again. Fingers that had lost their flexibility may once again be nimble enough to play like a young rock star.

On the other hand, perhaps you have given up video games. When you start feeling better, you need to find the ps2 transformers, because you are going to show the grandkids how a video game should be played.