An adult skeleton is made up of 206 bones, linked by joints which support the body and allow movement. We rely on the health of these joints to keep us mobile and pain free but they are under constant stress and as we age, they gradually sustain damage from wear and tear.

Around 8 million people in the UK suffer with pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis and most of those are over 50. It is estimated that by 2031 there will be close to 27 million people aged over 50 in the UK, so unless we take looking after our joints seriously, it is easy to see that Britain could be sitting on a joint health time bomb. Fifty, as they say, is the new 40 and mobility is key to ensuring no-one has to act their age!

How do you know if you have osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis can affect any joint but most commonly it involves the weight- bearing joints that take most of the day to day strain, namely the hips and knees. The spine and hands are other common sites and the classic symptoms are pain and stiffness particularly first thing in the morning or in cold, damp weather. Joints may creak and if you place the palm of your hand over the front of an osteoarthritic knee as it bends and straightens you can actually feel it crunch and grate. The diagnosis is often made on this story alone but X-rays will confirm narrow joint spaces and roughened bone edges.

Is arthritis an inevitable part of ageing?
No. 40% of people over 70 suffer with osteoarthritis of the knee’, which means that 60% don’t! Now some of that is down to your genes and gender.
Women are twice as likely as men to suffer and if your parents had osteoarthritis, then you are at increased risk. A joint that has been damaged through injury is also more likely to become arthritic and arthritis is more common in Afro-Caribbeans, but that’s where fate ends and we have to start taking responsibility for our own risks. Britain is now the fattest nation in Europe. You don’t need a medical degree to work out that carrying excess pounds will put an extra strain on the joints and increase the risks or wear and tear. Being overweight also increases the chances of osteoarthritis getting worse once it has developed. Keeping slim and active significantly improves your chances of living your later years free of the pain of arthritis.

What about supplements for healthy joints?
In order to understand the role of supplements in preserving joint health we need to understand a little about how the body maintains pain free mobile joints naturally. The bony surfaces between joints are cushioned by cartilage and a lubricating fluid called synovial fluid. Cartilage is constantly broken down and rebuilt throughout life but as we age we produce less glucosamine, which is essential for the production of new cartilage and thick synovial fluid. Chondroitin sulphate is also found in high concentration in cartilage and helps to reduce inflammation by damping down the migration of white blood cells and the production of inflammatory chemicals. Taking glucosamine and chondroitin has been shown to significantly reduce pain and halt the damage caused by osteoarthritis. I recommend anyone at risk of osteoarthritis to take a daily supplement of glucosamine and chondroitin and in fact have done so myself for several years now. 

(1)WHO and The Bone and Joint Decade 2001

MYTH
Exercise is bad for arthritis.
FALSE
Exercise does not cause arthritis, not even running (unless it is in excess). In fact, exercise is good for arthritic joints. Anyone who suffers will tell you that they feel most stiff in the mornings and that when they have been up and around for a while their symptoms improve.

MYTH
Cracking joints causes arthritis.
FALSE
The noise made by
cracking joints is thought to be due to tiny bubbles of gas being released as the bones are pulled apart. There is no scientific evidence that there is any link to arthritis, but constantly forcing your joints apart isn’t going to do them any good!

REAL LIFE STORY
Seven years ago I developed acute osteoarthritis pain in both hips ¬ it was absolutely crippling and almost disabling. After X-rays I was prescribed heavy painkillers and told that if they upset my gut I could be prescribed other drugs to counteract this. Not to mention that in the long term I would likely need hip replacements. Well, you can imagine how fed up I was.
However, a health worker suggested I take a combination of calcium and magnesium, but more especially glucosamine and chondroitin. I was sceptical but nevertheless I embarked on a regular regime of these supplements. Within 2-3 months the pain and limping stopped and I have never looked back. Last year I even went on a 2 week walking holiday in Iceland.
I truly believe this combination has not only alleviated my condition, but has actually reversed it.
Mrs J Kimbell, Surrey

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