Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. It is also referred to as Degenerative Joint Disease. Don’t get scared by the fancy name, though. Degenerative just means a decline, while dis-ease just implies a lack of ease. This arthritis occurs when the flexible tissue (cartilage) starts to wear down at the end of the bones in a joint.

Symptoms:

Pain, joint damage, limited mobility. It usually occurs in the hands or the weight-bearing joints such as the knees resulting in inflammation. And is caused sometimes by injury, but can also be genetic predisposition. It is exacerbated by lack of exercise or overstress by improper body mechanics/movement and weight.

March 20th is designated "International Day of Happiness." What better excuse to talk about the effects of exercise on mental health!

Did you know that your emotions and your body are closely connected and that you can achieve a sense of happiness from your body movements? We aren't talking about looking at your body in the mirror and feeling happy with the reflection you see; we are talking about a physiological change that occurs in the body that affects the brain or vise versa.

We all know what anxiety can feel like. Many of us experience it at some point in our lives, but a lot of us experience it daily (especially in light of current circumstances in the world and our country). Whether you are someone who experiences anxiety infrequently or frequently, it's important to understand the affect it has on the body and understand the way to manage it from a physical standpoint.

What does Anxiety look like?

Anxiety can range from symptoms of restlessness, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping to difficulty breathing, spasm, and panic attacks. Some people may experience it as occasional feeling of stress while other experience it as anxiety "disorder" - a chronic disordering of the natural state of being, mentally, physically, and emotionally.