What is Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease where the cartilage in your joints are being damaged.

The cartilage is a thin smooth tissue that lines the ends of the bones in the joints to allow for friction-free smooth movement.

When this cartilage and surrounding tissues are damaged, you will experience pain and stiffness when you move the joints. The joint may become inflamed (swells up) as the condition worsens over time.

OA can affect anyone but usually starts to show up in adults after the age of 35 or 40. Even young men and women are not immune to this condition. Men develop OA more often than women as men are more likely to injure themselves either at work or at play (for example, in sport activities).

Complete and detailed information on this health condition are presented below in easy-to-understand language.