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Staying Healthy
You don’t say? Can your joints wear out?
- By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
Some people think their joints eventually wear out like car tires, and the more you use them, the faster they wear down until, one day, they need replacement. But joints don’t work like Michelins.
This false comparison probably arises because osteoarthritis — the most common type of arthritis — is often described as "wear and tear" arthritis, which is misleading.
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You might also be interested in…
Living Well with Osteoarthritis: A guide to relieving the pain and caring for your joints
This report focuses primarily on osteoarthritis — the most common type of arthritis — which affects 27 million Americans. Many people believe it’s a crippling and inevitable part of growing old. But things are changing. Treatments are better, and plenty of people age well without much arthritis. If you have osteoarthritis, you can take steps to protect your joints, reduce discomfort, and improve mobility — all of which are detailed in this Special Health Report, Living Well with Osteoarthritis: A guide to keeping your joints healthy. If you don't have osteoarthritis, the report offers strategies for preventing it.
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