Navigating Healthcare: A Guide to Modern Medicine and Wellness

Joint Pain

Arthritis pain

Is Arthritis a Normal Part of Aging?

Many comedians have made many jokes about arthritis over the years. One of the most quoted of these is from a speech by famed comedian Jack Benny, when he said, “I don’t deserve this award… but then again, I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.” Mr. Benny may have been kidding, but undoubtedly there were many days he didn’t see his arthritis as a joke. And if you’re someone who suffers from it, you likely don’t either. But arthritis is a natural part of aging, right? Surely, we’ve all known older folks who suffered from arthritis, and we just figured it was something we had to deal with as we aged. Thankfully, this is a myth. Arthritis is not, repeat, not a normal part of aging. Although millions of folks in the U.S. have developed arthritis as they got older, the fact about this condition is that, in many cases, it is preventable.

Is Joint Pain a Normal Part of Aging?

A famous person once said, “Time wounds all heels.” A clever twist on the old saying, ‘time heals all wounds.’ But how true is it? Is it necessary, as we age, for us all to feel the burden of time on our heels, our bones, our joints? Though it is a certainty that aging can cause joint pain, it’s not a foregone conclusion. Does time tend to break down our bodily processes and functions? Does it tend to lead to deterioration and disease processes that can cause joint pain? Absolutely. Does it have to be that way? Absolutely not. There are steps we can take to prevent joint pain from occurring or worsening as we age. Following is more information from orthopedic surgeons in New Jersey about the causes and effects of joint pain, as well as preventive measures we should all take as we grow older.