Many of us wake in the morning, slowly roll out of bed and begin to crack most of the joints in our body. They are stiff from the previous day’s trek around campus and other activities. You feel old when your knees make a loud crack after getting up from a power lecture. Unfortunately, you realize that it will only get worse with age. Although many people are unaware, there are procedures that can easily help with the pain caused by aching joints.

Osteoarthritis, a chronic disease causing deterioration of the joint cartilage and other joint tissues with the formation of new bone (bone spurs) at the margins of the joints, affects half the population over the age of 65. Although we often hear of the problem plaguing the elderly, students also feel the effects.

Doctor Edmund Markey, of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin, said that the problem may only get worse.

Luckily, there are many cures available for osteoarthritis.

“There are now many relatively easy procedures that can substantially improve one’s quality of life due to an arthritic knee, or hip, or ankle or toe,” said Markey.

These cures range from oral medication to surgery on the afflicted area. Surgery time can be as short as 15 minutes, and usually requires general or regional anesthesia. The price can range from about $300 to a few thousand dollars.

If you believe that you may have some form of osteoarthritis, it is recommended that you see a doctor.

“Use your judgment,” said Mark Aschliman, an orthopedic surgeon in private practice. “Don’t go in too quickly, but if you feel that the pain constitutes medical attention, then go and see a doctor.”

The sooner you address the problem, the easier it will be to cure.

“Rarely is it too late to have such a condition treated in this fashion, but it may become more difficult with deformity or bone loss,” Marky said.

Professor Gregory Landry, a sports-medicine specialist, said that fear is one of the major reasons for people neglecting medical attention.

“They fear surgery will be recommended or they will be told to stop the activities that they want to do,” according to Landry.

He also said that it is usually harder to convince men to seek attention.

Specialists recommend the same general tips to avoid osteoarthritis: stretch before working out, do not concentrate your activity to just the weekend, have a routine schedule through the week, and just be careful. Some problems cannot be avoided due to genetics, but by taking care and watching for symptoms, one can avoid most problems.

If you do believe that you are having problems, it is recommended that you seek medical attention so that the problem can easily be remedied.