Sometimes arthritis occurs in the wrist, elbows, shoulders, and jaw but you generally don't find it there. There are more than 100 different types of medical conditions that can affect your joints; it'll be difficult to treat your condition effectively unless you know exactly what your diagnosis is; get diagnosed as soon as possible. Osteoarthritis affects joints in a different way depending on their location in the body, causing various symptoms.

Cartilage contains a high percentage of water, but it decreases with age. Collagen is the main protein found in all connective tissues in the body, including the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The cartilage is slippery tissue that coats the ends of the bones.

One possible cause of arthritis is the inflammatory response due to the over-reaction of the immune system to an injury or other assault in the body, like an infection.

The cause of arthritis (osteoarthritis) and the factors leading to the deterioration of cartilage in osteoarthritis is still not understood. As chondrocytes (the cells that make up cartilage) age, they lose their ability to make repairs and produce more cartilage; this process may play an important role in the development and progression of osteoarthritis.

Make smoothies with fruit only using a base of two bananas, adding a cup of frozen or fresh blueberries and mango chunks or substitute any other fruit and add an energy boost of two tablespoons of coconut oil; add one or two leaves of kale for another highly nutritional boost -- no one will ever know.

Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, that no one supplement can relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc. If your osteoarthritis is affecting your load-bearing joints, keeping your weight within a normal range is important.

Make highly nutritious raw applesauce using a food processor and put in 3-4 cored pesticide-free apples, with the skin on, and mix for a minute; so much better for you than canned highly processed applesauce and add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon or two tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed for another boost.

Many have told me that going off dairy products and gluten containing foods relieved their arthritis pain entirely. Try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, wheat being the most allergenic; they are wheat, corn, eggs, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish and some nuts, not all.

One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it's non-invasive to the body.

Not a food, but many, including one well-known professional golfer, still wear copper bracelets and swear by them.

My secret is I eat a diet of living foods (fruits, raw veggies, raw nuts and raw seeds) to relieve my arthritis pain and this should be tried for at least 30 days, thus eliminating any foods that might be culprits. I have been arthritis-free since I started eating living foods several years ago.

Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis. Keep a bedside basket of arthritic aids for arthritic hands (theraputty, hand grips, Taiji chime balls, etc.) to be used at bedtime or while watching television. Even if you don't think you can exercise, you can do some movements. At bedtime try putting on a pair of stretch gloves to help reduce the pain and swelling in your fingers for those of you who have arthritic hands.

Whatever you do, keep moving; don't sit when you can stand, don't stand when you can walk. Your body has 147 different joints that are in motion every day of your life. For arthritic fingers, a good exercise is to put your finger tips together and press hard and release, then repeat several times.

Conventional doctors may suggest the standard protocol for your joint pain; they tell you to take over-the-counter NSAIDS or prescribe COX-2 inhibitors, of which all have side effects. Be aware that the use of NSAIDs or Cox-2 inhibitors do not halt the progress of osteoarthritis and may even hasten the onset. Drugs commonly used for arthritis pain can cause ulcers, heart disease and liver or kidney damage.

Knowing more about arthritis and how it works will ultimately help contribute to your relief of arthritis pain. Following these suggestions can help you get back in the swing of things and allow you to spend your days enjoying life once more. More and more doctors are investigating the benefits of alternative therapies and most don't object to patients trying them.