Like age, arthritis has a way of creeping up on you until one morning, that occasional stiffness in the knee or soreness in the hands turns into "That hurts!" type of pain. Prolonged physical activity only prolongs the soreness.

Arthritis is a general medical term that refers to inflammation of the joints. The word "arthritis" is a blend of the Greek words "arthron" for joint and "itis" for inflammation. Frequent cracking of the joints and early morning stiffness are common symptoms of osteoarthritis, even during pain-free periods. Some will joke that they can tell a weather change is ahead when their knees act up, but that's because painful joints can be sensitive to a falling of barometric pressure, which signals rain in the forecast.

Arthritis often begins subtly with a little ache and stiffness in the knees or shoulders. Or it may herald its arrival with sharp pain and swollen, tender joints. Arthritis takes center stage, however, when you feel as stiff as a board when you pull yourself out of bed in the morning. Stiff spines, creaky necks, and balky backs can zap the life out of even the most optimistic individuals. Those with arthritic hands and wrists find it painful to type or even use a computer mouse, while some with arthritic knees shuffle around with pain as their constant companion. Arthritic hips not also restrict mobility but impact a couple's love life since arthritic hip pain can make sexual relations painful, particularly for women. No matter how you cope or make lifestyle adjustments, arthritis is a pain to live with.

In The Great Physician's Rx for Arthritis, Jordan Rubin, along with Joseph Brasco, MD, recommends a total lifestyle program for the health of the body, mind, and spirit that's much more effective than sleeping on a bed of magnets each night, and it's based on the seven keys to unlock your God-given health potential found in his foundational book The Great Physician's Rx for Health and Wellness.