The human joints are like the bearings of a machine, which inevitably wear out over decades, and the main part of the wear is the layer of cartilage outside the joints. As we age and our ability to repair ourselves decreases, the wear and tear gradually increases until pain, swelling, stiffness, and impaired movement of the joints develop into osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint in the body, mainly in the knee, distal finger joints, hip joints, cervical spine and lumbar spine, which are more active and weight-bearing joints.