“inflammation is now understood to be a key mediator of OA that contributes to cartilage loss and progressive degeneration of affected joints… OA is no longer considered a noninflammatory arthritis or a ‘wear and tear’ disease”
I heretofore thought age-related cartilage loss was the cause of osteoarthritis and inflammation. Turns out it’s the other way around: the inflammation degrades cartilage. Okay, no more slogging through joint pains for me, regardless of how small.
Edit: added a phrase for clarity
It has long been known that certain bacterial infections like strep can cause horrible debilitating pain in your joints, most common I believe like knees and stuff, but other people like shoulders and elbows. Not just strep though.
They treat it with cortico steroids, which are bad to take in high doses for long periods of time, which this is. Very very bad. Perhaps not as bad as horrible debilitating chronic pain.