October 31st, 2008 
Von Tyrone M. Reyes, M.D.
If you are in your 60s, it’s a good bet that you have osteoarthritis. If you are in your 80s, it’s a sure thing. In fact, if you take an x-ray of the hips or knees of people over age 50, you’ll probably see signs of arthritis in many of them. But some people with severe damage can be as frisky as those decades younger, while others with only modestly damaged joints call the pain and disability unbearable. “Arthritis affects everyone differently,” says Peter Juni, MD, an expert on joint disease at the University of Berne in Switzerland. “How you experience it depends on not just the joint damage but your emotional health, weight, pain tolerance, activities, and willingness to participate in your own care, among other things,” he says. Research suggests that some doctors may downplay joint pain that’s not confirmed by x-rays, while others may recommend invasive procedures if they see severe joint damage. But since arthritis pain and disability are so subjective, only you — upon consultation with your physician — can decide how aggressively to treat it. As my former professors in medical school used to tell us, “Treat the patient, not the x-rays!” (more…)
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