Osteoarthritis is more common than you think: How to treat and prevent it from worsening

Osteoarthritis affects everyone on the planet, particularly as we get older. The condition is caused by wear and tear on the protective layer of cartilage on the ends of our bones — not unlike wearing down the tread on a tire. The cartilage helps our joints glide smoothly without pain, popping or stiffness. 

We sat down with Dr. Vinay K. Aggarwal, a hip and knee reconstruction specialist in NYU Langone’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery, who said there are very effective ways to prevent progression with a balanced lifestyle.

One of the first things patients say when they see me is that they’ve developed joint pain that affects them daily. “I know I have arthritis everywhere,” they say, and this is often an accurate description of what’s going in their body. 

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, and the amount you have is key to how symptomatic you may be. Osteoarthritis is most common in the hip joints, causing pain in the groin and sides of the hips, and the knee joints, leading to pain in the front, sides or the back of the knees.

Some of the factors that accelerate osteoarthritis and wear out our cartilage are beyond our control, like age and genetic predisposition. There are, thankfully, several factors we can control, like obesity, smoking, diet and exercise. 

Studies have shown that smoking significantly hastens the drying out of articular cartilage, leading to a more brittle joint and quicker development of osteoarthritis. Watching what you eat is also important. Several studies show that every one pound of body weight can increase the pressure on knee joints, creating seven times the force on those joints. Staying active lubricates your joints — and a healthy diet and lifestyle are also important.