Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints gradually deteriorates. Cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that enables nearly frictionless joint motion. Eventually, if the cartilage wears down completely, bone will rub on bone, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling.

The most commonly affected joints include the hands, knees, hips, neck, and lower back. The symptoms of osteoarthritis often begin slowly and usually begin with one or a few joints. The common symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain when using the joint, which may improve with rest, joint stiffness, usually lasting less than 30 minutes, in the morning or after resting for a period of time, and decreased range of motion (or flexibility), and swelling.

Factors that can increase your risk of osteoarthritis include older age, sex (women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis), obesity, bone deformities, and certain metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Osteoarthritis has often been referred to as a wear and tear disease, but besides the breakdown of cartilage, osteoarthritis affects the entire joint. It causes changes in the bone and deterioration of the connective tissues that hold the joint together and attach muscle to bone. It also causes inflammation of the joint lining.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but medication, assistive devices, and other therapies that don’t involve drugs can help to ease pain. As a last resort, a damaged joint may be surgically fused or replaced[[3]](https://www.arthritis.org/diseases...