Joint Disease
Joint disease is one of the oldest and most common types of arthritis. It is characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of bones. Cartilage breakdown causes bones to rub against each other, causing pain and loss of movement. Most commonly affecting middle-aged and older people, osteoarthritis can range from very mild to very severe. It affects hands and weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, feet and the back.
Common symptoms include joint swelling, limited movement, morning stiffness, grating of the joint with motion, joint pain in rainy weather, joint pain often relieved by rest, worsened joint pain after exercise or weight bearing, and gradual or subtle onset of deep aching joint pain. Be aware that there also may be no symptoms for this condition.