In October 2010 there was a report released by the Center of Disease Control that stated that up to 22% of American adults suffered from arthritis. If you have arthritis or know of someone that does then you will be well aware of the painfulness and the restriction of movement that occurs with this condition. With more than 200 forms of arthritis there are two main ones that we hear most often about today; osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Should you have osteoarthritis then you will learn that you have the most common type of arthritis. Generally affecting those that are over the age of 50 the risk of suffering this condition rises as the age increases. Osteoarthritis is the degenerationof the cartilage in the joints of the human body. Cartilage is usually a tough and very flexible material that works by keeping bones separated and sliding over each other. When the cartilage wears down and becomes absent then the bones grind together causing a frictionas well as dreadful pain and increases the damage to the area.

When a person has osteoarthritis they usually have swelling and incur reduced movement. When the joint is used it increases the pain and the friction caused in this movement will cause more swelling. Boney outcrops can occur when the bone is constantly under pressure and being worn such as this. It can result in bone thickening and spread which will decrease the amount of flexibility again. When small particles of bone break away due to the grinding and pressure this will also cause dreadful pain.
Should you have pain in your joints or have experienced a reduction in the scope of movement then you are advised to seek the advice and consultation of an orthopedic specialist as soon as possible. There are some very good treatment and medication options available to sufferers and early intervention is advised.