Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting around twenty million people alone in the U.S. and millions more world wide. Not surprisingly, countries differ widely with their exposure to osteoarthritis with Japan having the highest rate and South Africa having one of the lowest rates. It effects men more than women up to the age of 45 but from age 55 onwards, women are more frequently diagnosed with this disease.

So why is this called degenerative arthritis. You would be correct to assume this has to do with aging and how it affects our joints. This form of arthritis is due to the breakdown in the cartilage which 'cushions' the joints. When you can imagine this 'cushion' wearing down, it's no wonder that this is a very painful condition. In fact this form of arthritis is usually caused by an increase of the amount of water in the cartilage between the joints. The excess water causes the protein in the cartilage to break down. sometimes it is caused by an old injury or having a weak joint which is under continuous pressure.

With osteoarthritis, the more the joints are used, the more they can become inflamed. Inflammation leads to swelling and causes a lot of pain. In fact, in its severest form there can be a total loss of cartilage between the joints as the cartilage eventually starts eroding. With no cushion between the joints, severe pain is experienced and there will be a loss of mobility in the joint affected. In fact bone spurs can also develop and this again leads to even more pain.

Pain though is a very individual thing. Some people are very sensitive and experience a lot of pain, whereas another person with similar symptoms may experience far less pain.

At the present time there is no known cure for arthritis and medication helps bring pain relief and can sometimes slow down the rate at which the arthritis develops. There are many natural remedies too which are helpful - honey and vinegar, for example, has helped many people with pain relief.