No More Aches?

How we may (finally) be outsmarting joint pain

- Patricia Pearson

IT MIGHT BE IN YOGA CLASS when you first feel it when did downward dog start getting so hard on the wrists? Or it could be at your weekly squash or tennis game that you notice your knees screaming back at you whenever you pivot. Chances are, it's arthritis, which isn't just an 'old-people' problem: It usually kicks in between the ages of 40 and 60.

By far the most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis. It's usually the result of decades of physical activity that wears down the cartilage in our joints. That's the rubbery, frictionless tissue that acts as a shock-absorber between bones. After years of wear and tear, or an injury such as a fracture or dislocation, that cushion can harden and fray like a dried-out rubber band, causing the entire joint to become inflamed and painful (the word arthritis comes from the Greek arthro, which means 'joint, and itis, which means 'inflammation').

Osteoarthritis, or OA, is diagnosed in two-thirds of people who experience any sort of joint pain. Women are more likely to suffer from it than men, for reasons that remain unclear. The World Health Organization estimates that 528 million people worldwide have OA, and an increase over the next decade is projected as the population ages.

The joints that bear the brunt of OA are most often the knees, knuckles, base of the thumb, lower back and hips.

Sufferers might notice swelling or even feel a grating sensation in the joints, and some people experience aching that's deep enough to wake them up at night. Stiffness is common, particularly in the morning, and things like opening a jar or bending down aren't as easy as they used to be.

Fortunately, some innovative solutions may be on the way.

HOW CAN YOU EASE THE PAIN?