Like many people my age, I suffer from osteoarthritis.  My knees, hands and neck are affected and while it does not prevent me from most activities – running up and down stairs is a challenge.  Some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis include joint pain that gets worse after exercise or putting weight on it, and is relieved by rest, grating of the joint, joint swelling, limited movement and muscle weakness.  All of these symptoms can get worse over time.

Treatments can include over the counter drugs, and if they do not work your doctor can prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug.  However; long term use of these drugs can cause stomach problems such as ulcers and bleeding.  These drugs may also increase the risk for heart attacks and stroke and increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.  We all remember the drug Vioxx and why it was taken off the market.

What I have done to manage the arthritis is exercise, such as walking and lifting weights.  I also use a product called Joint which helps manage my symptoms.  This is a natural product and I feel much better taking it than I would a drug.  There is no cure for osteoarthritis and no one knows exactly what causes it, but the research is promising.  The study listed below shows that it may be caused by bacteria:

A new study from scientists and the Netherlands claim that bacteria may be a cause of arthritis. Specifically, researchers showed evidence to support that a specific gene called NOD2 triggers arthritis or make it worse when leftover remnants of bacteria cell walls (i.e., muramyl dipeptide or MDP) are present. The new discovery offers a beginning step toward new treatments to lessen the symptoms or even prevent inflammatory arthritis.

Scientists in the study went on to say that despite recent advances in the treatment of arthritis, the cause of arthritis is still a mystery to experts. Working with MDP and NOD2 is an important step toward understanding the underlying cause of arthritis. Learning this may one day help scientists to prevent arthritis altogether. The research on MDP and NOD2 was done by experimenting with two groups of mice. One group was normal while the other was genetically modified so that their NOD2 gene was deactivated. Next, scientists administered MDP to the joints of each mice within each group.  Results showed that mice with the deactivated NOD2 gene did not experience signs of arthritis. This finding may also be an important factor in the understanding and treatment of blau syndrome, which is a rare genetic disease characterized by granulomatous arthritis (arthritis caused by bacteria). Scientists then pointed out the next step in unsolving this puzzle. They explained that the next step is to find treatments that either rid the body of this inflammatory signal or mask it. Either way, scientists are very close to preventing this terrible disease that affects over 40 million Americans.

(Source:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090331101111.htm)