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Osteoarthritis affects almost an eighth of population and is certainly the most popular form of arthritis. Most of us will sooner or later suffer from it. This form of arthritis attacks the cartilage, causing pain and preventing joints from moving.

As many other chronic diseases, osteoarthritis can’t be really cured. Despite hundreds of research concerning anti-arthritis medications, all we can do now is to slow down the disease or decrease the chance of its appearance.

Staying fit and in good shape is the first thing everyone suffering from osteoarthritis should do. There are three main reasons for that. First, you have to keep your joints from doing more than they can - and being overweight puts an enormous stress on the joints and speed up the cartilage loss. Then, joints work less hard if they are supported by strong muscles. Finally, a good diet will keep your body much less prone to osteoarthritis attacks.

The most common method of relieving pain is to use extremely high or low temperatures on the body. Hot baths are common methods of ensuring that the blood circulation will speed up, easing the pain, while cold water or ice applied on the sore joints will actually reduce the pain.

Heat and cold however, are not always enough to eliminate the pain. If necessary, it is ok to opt for prescription-free drugs. However, if you decide to ask your doctor for something stronger, remember to learn about the side effects and be very wary when you use them. The last thing you need is endangering your health because of too strong painkillers.

The second best thing that slows down the osteoarthritis is Omega-3 fatty acids. They are second only to frequent exercises. The only problem is that these nutrients are naturally found only in a few kinds of fish and in flax, making it very difficult to compose a healthy and varied diet capable of providing enough Omega-3 fatty acids. While Mediterraneans are generally able to get enough seafood to do it, North Americans most often rely on Omega Daily and other similar supplements to get enough Omega-3 fatty acids to lessen the impact of arthritis on their lives.

The bottom line is: if you have osteoarthritis, stay healthy. Overweight, lack of exercises and bad diet will only speed up the pace of arthritis. Staying fit and keeping your joints safe are two most important things you have to do.