Degenerative arthritis, how does it affect your body? It is a serious condition that causes the person to be in a lot of pain. This disease affects millions of people that are located all over the globe. Many people know it better as osteoarthritis and when this condition worsens it is referred to as degenerative arthritis. This condition is the most common form of arthritis and it affects different joints in the body. Most commonly it affects the spine, knees, hips, fingers and toes and it can be in more than one joint at a time. The joints have a substance made of protein between them to prevent them from rubbing together called cartilage. Degenerative arthritis breaks down causing the cartilage to deteriorate leaving the bones exposed.

With degenerative arthritis new bone or spurs will begin to develop in the place of the cartilage which increases the amount of pain a person can experience. The older you get the more susceptible you are to this condition. This is due to the fact that as you age the protein that makes up the cartilage starts to deteriorate while the amount of water starts to increase. Degenerative arthritis is referred as either primary or secondary osteoarthritis. Primary is the most common type and no one really knows what causes it other than the fact that the person is simply getting older.

If it is known what caused a person to have this condition, then it is referred to as the secondary osteoarthritis. Using certain joints over and over for several years tend to increase the risk of this type of degenerative arthritis. Many jobs require a person to use the same parts of the body to perform certain task each day. This repetition causes the cartilage in the joints to become inflamed and this not only causes pain and swelling but it starts to damage the cartilage as well. Over time a lot of damage can be done and osteoarthritis usually sets in.

Degenerative arthritis, how does it affect your body? The answer is clear. It can be a very painful disease that no one should have to suffer with. Although there is nothing a person can do to make sure they never get this condition there are some things you can do to reduce your risks. For example maintaining a healthy weight will help prevent unnecessary wear and tear on the spine, hips and knees. You can do this by eating healthy and exercising regularly. It is important that you do all you can to take care of your body now to help protect yourself in the future.

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