One of the types of arthritis that we see most often is osteoarthritis. It occurs when the cartilage in the joints begins to break down. It does not occur suddenly but is a progressive and degenerative type of disease.

You may have heard it called the ‘wear & tear’ of osteoarthritis. There are no joints in the body that are safe from this disease but it usually shows up in the areas of the body which bear weight such as the knees, hips and spine. Less commonly, it appears on the hands or feet.

Our cartilage is important because it acts as a cushion for the bones in our joints. They also act like the shocks in a car to protect us from damage and make it easier to move around.

When the cartilage starts to deteriorate the bones end up rubbing against each other. When this occurs, the sufferer will experience pain, loss of movement and will feel stiff.

Osteoarthritis comes in 2 types – primary and secondary. The former describes a type that wears and tears on your joints over time and is commonly associated with the elderly. Most people will suffer with primary arthritis at some time during their life. It is often not noticed until it is too late to do anything about it. The secondary type is caused by another factor in a persons life such as obesity, injury, disease, hormonal imbalances or trauma...