| ding to the Arthritis Foundation, over 21 million people | | | | Prowse spent the next 18 months "imprisoned" in a |
| have osteoarthritis with women more commonly | | | | hospital and immobilized in leg splints and braces. But |
| afflicted than men. But arthritis spares no one. It | | | | after his tuberculosis tests repeatedly came back |
| often starts in middle age and is most common in | | | | negative, doctors finally realized Prowse had "juvenile |
| older people. But children and young adults can also | | | | arthritis" and immediately prescribed exercise. |
| get it. | | | | Prowse's early onset of osteoarthritis isn't common. |
| Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. | | | | But the disease is. Osteoarthritis is more likely to |
| It is the process of wearing of bone against bone | | | | affect your hips or knees, and also the end joints on |
| that causes debilitating pain severe enough to restrict | | | | your fingers, but it can affect any joint. Treatments |
| activities involving the affected joint. | | | | such as injections to the joint can help, but if the |
| Medical experts don’t know the exact cause | | | | joint is worn, the question of surgery may be raised. |
| of osteoarthritis. What they know is that a | | | | There are operations to reduce the wear and tear of |
| person’s immune system attacks his or her | | | | the joint but the major procedure used these days is |
| own body tissues. Research shows that genes, | | | | a joint replacement. Though other joints can be |
| environment, and hormones among others are | | | | replaced, hip replacement has been done for a long |
| factors that cause osteoarthritis. | | | | time and in recent years knee replacements have |
| A perfect example of someone who suffered | | | | also become widely used. Your family doctor and |
| arthritis at a very young age was David Prowse. He | | | | your specialist will discuss the pros and cons of these |
| was the original and ultimate screen villain Darth | | | | procedures. |
| Vader of the Star Wars trilogy. For reel, Darth Vader | | | | It is wise not to embark on joint replacement too |
| brought terror throughout the universe. For real, | | | | soon as we are living longer these days and the |
| Prowse is battling another villain - osteoarthritis. The | | | | replacement is likely to wear out or go wrong after a |
| 65-year-old actor has been dueling with the | | | | number of years. Subsequent options for further |
| progressive joint disease since age 13. | | | | surgery are limited. |
| "I was misdiagnosed actually," recalls the former | | | | There are a number of complementary medical |
| British weightlifting champion. "My knee swelled up | | | | approaches to osteoarthritis. You can always try the |
| rather badly after doing some sprinting. The doctors | | | | most complete joint health supplement available |
| told me I had tuberculosis of the knee." | | | | today. |