Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. Joint pain in the hands, neck, lower back, knees or hips is the most common symptom.

It’s most likely to affect the joints that bear most of our weight, such as the knees and feet. Joints that we use a lot in everyday life, such as the joints of the hand, are also commonly affected. In a healthy joint, a coating of tough but smooth and slippery tissue, called cartilage, covers the surface of the bones and helps the bones to move freely against each other. When a joint develops osteoarthritis, part of the cartilage thins and the surface becomes rougher. This means the joint doesn’t move as smoothly as it should. When cartilage becomes worn or damaged, all the tissues within the joint become more active than normal as the body tries to repair the damage. Almost all of us will develop osteoarthritis in some of our joints as we get older, though we may not even be aware of it.

Common Symptoms:

• Pain. Affected joints might hurt during or after movement.
• Stiffness. Joint stiffness might be most noticeable upon awakening or after being inactive.
•  Tenderness. Your joint might feel tender when you apply light pressure to or near it.
• Loss of flexibility. You might not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion.
• Grating sensation. You might feel a grating sensation when you use the joint, and you might hear popping or crackling.
•  Bone spurs. These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, can form around the affected joint.
• Swelling. This might be caused by soft tissue inflammation around the joint