There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but the condition doesn’t necessarily get any worse over time and a number of treatments are available to help relieve the symptoms.

The main treatments for osteoarthritis include lifestyle measures – such as maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly – medication to relieve your pain, and supportive therapies to help make everyday activities easier.

In a few cases, where other treatments have not been helpful, surgery to repair, strengthen or replace damaged joints may also be considered.

A perfect world, medications would never produce side effects, operations would always be successful, and the best movie would win the Oscar. In that world, Harvard Men’s Health Watch would be in every mailbox, and exercise would continue to prevent disease and prolong life without causing any aches and pains. For better or worse, perfection can never be achieved in the real world. It’s a wonderful world, and exercise is wonderful for health, but people who exercise do run a risk of injury.

Although exercise rarely triggers serious heart problems, they must be the first concern for everyone who works out. To protect yourself, get a check-up before you start a serious exercise program. Listen to your body for warning symptoms such as chest pain, a racing or erratic pulse, undue shortness of breath, and light-headedness, and get help if you experience any of these symptoms.

Although cardiac problems are infrequent, musculoskeletal woes are relatively common. A study of 6,313 adults who exercised regularly found that 21 percent developed an exercise-related injury during the course of a year. Two-thirds involved the legs; the knee was the most frequently injured joint.

Cervical spondylosis is usually an age-related condition that affects the joints in your neck. It develops as a result of the wear and tear of the cartilage and bones are of the cervical spine. While it is largely due to age, it can be caused by other factors as well. Alternative names for it include cervical osteoarthritis and neck arthritis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition is present in more than 90 percent of people over the age of 65, although some have it in such small degrees that they never experience symptoms.

For some, it can cause chronic pain, although many people who have it are still able to conduct normal, daily activities.