Exercises like swimming are great since they're gentle on your joints. [Photo/blackenterprise.com]
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints. It disrupts the normal functioning of the body's joints or tissues surrounding those joints. There are over a hundred forms of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and mostly affects the elderly. It can be caused by trauma to the joint, infection to the joint, age, obesity or chronic overuse of a joint.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. It causes deterioration of the cartilage (padding) between bones of weight-bearing joints like hips, knees, ankles, feet, spine, pelvis or back. This can cause bones to rub together which makes the body respond by putting out more calcium for growth of the new bone.
Joints then find themselves with more bone than they can handle. Some of it ends up forming fingerlike 'spurs' called osteophytes. Those osteophytes can inhibit joint movement or can chip and leave deposits within joints to aggravate joint movement even further.
Morning stiffness may occur but not for longer than 30 minutes.
You can prevent or relieve pressure off your joints by exercising at a reasonable frequency and intensity, wearing the right and fitting shoes for each sporting activity, using proper techniques when lifting weights and do not be overweight.