A study published last year in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism identified that pain is not just a result of osteoarthritis, but can actually be a trigger that makes existing osteoarthritis even worse.

In this study, researchers found that the pain signals arising from osteoarthritis traveled to the spinal cord and led to a biochemical cascade which actually worsened the osteoarthritis symptoms.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, is a disease that is caused by the breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage between one or more joints in the body. Made from protein, cartilage serves to “cushion” the spaces between the bones and joints. There are more than 100 commonly identified arthritic conditions.

Osteoarthritis is the most common of the types, impacting more than 21 million people in the United States alone. The risk of osteoarthritis increases as we age. Before 50, osteoarthritis occurs more often in men. After 50, it tends to occur more frequently in women. In America, all races appear equally affected. A higher incidence of osteoarthritis exists in the Japanese population, while South African blacks, Southern Chinese and East Indians, tend to have lower rates.