What Causes Osteoarthritis, and Can It Be Reversed?
If your knees creak when you climb the stairs or your fingers feel stiff every morning, you're not imagining things. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint conditions people deal with as they age, yet so few actually understand what's happening inside their joints. Let's break it down in plain language. So, What Exactly Is Osteoarthritis? At its core, osteoarthritis is wear and tear. Every joint in your body is cushioned by cartilage, a smooth, rubbery tissue that lets bones glide against each other without friction. Over the years, this cartilage naturally thins out. In osteoarthritis, that breakdown speeds up, and eventually bone starts rubbing against bone. The result? Pain, swelling, stiffness, and that unmistakable grinding sensation many patients describe during their first visit to a doctor . What Actually Causes It? There's rarely just one culprit. Age is the biggest factor, simply because cartilage has less capacity to repair itself as we get...