The CDC believes upwards of 27 million Americans suffer from the widespread chronic condition known as osteoarthritis, often referred to as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis usually develops in the joints including knees, fingers, big toe, hips, lower back and neck. Osteoarthritis is caused by the damage to cartilage and loss of friction-reducing solutions that protect the edges of bones in the joint. When the joint surfaces are sufficiently reduced, this eventually leads to bones rubbing against each other.

 

Osteoarthritis can be observed in all age groups, although the risk is higher among the following: it is progressive, so typically worse with age, women are more prone than men, overweight, individuals with similar genetic history, certain labor or work, certain pastimes such as runners, past injuries to joints, abnormality of bones. Osteoarthritis symptoms develop gradually and increase with the passage of time. The symptoms include pain due to movement, restricted movement due to loss of flexibility, feeling of grinding or grating, stiffness after a period of immobility, swelling and tenderness, bone spurs, lumps formed by tiny pieces of bones around the joint.