About joint pain

Joint pain may be the result of cartilage wearing away due to the normal aging process. Cartilage is tissue that provides a cushion between bone surfaces. This tissue loss is commonly called arthritis.

There are three common types of arthritis:

• Osteoarthritis – often referred to as degenerative joint disease. Loss of cartilage primarily in the hip and knee joints results in bone-on-bone contact, hip pain or knee pain, and decreased mobility.
• Rheumatoid arthritis – the result of inflammation of the joint covering which results in swelling, pain and stiffness of the joint.
• Post-traumatic arthritis – this results after an injury to a joint; the bone and cartilage do not heal properly causing wear on the joint.

If the pain advances to the point where normal daily activities are affected, joint replacement surgery, a form of orthopedic surgery, may be the recommended treatment to restore joint health. To find an orthopedic surgeon at the Center for Joint Health, click here.