Jennie Garth’s Experience With Osteoarthritis

At age 47, when she was first diagnosed with osteoarthritis, actress Jennie Garth was in disbelief. During my interview* with the active designer and decorator who catapulted to stardom as Kelly Taylor on Beverly Hills, 90210, Garth responded incredulously to her medical team: “You’re reading [the imaging] wrong. Arthritis is for old people. I’m not old yet!” It wasn’t long before the 2007 Dancing with the Stars semi-finalist – like 32.5 million other U.S. adults diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) – learned the truth about the most common form of arthritis in the nation.

Five years after her diagnosis, the mother of three daughters is going public with her OA experience (including initial misperceptions), in hopes of raising awareness of this debilitating disease so others will no longer suffer in silence. She is also partnering with Voltaren gel for arthritis pain and helping to launch CareWalks, an initiative to empower caregivers with joint pain to rediscover the joy of physical activity like walking. The campaign coincides with May as Arthritis Awareness Month.

According to the CDC, arthritis is a leading cause of work disability in the United States. Nearly 60 million adults have been diagnosed by a doctor with arthritis which is inflammation of the joints. The two leading types include rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, of which the latter is most common. A degenerative joint disease, OA causes ‘wear and tear’ of the joints, most frequently in the hands, hips and knees.

What Causes OA and Who Gets It?

Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage and other tissues within the joint break down. Researchers don’t know what triggers the deterioration but certain risk factors, per the CDC, increase the likelihood of developing the disease: age, obesity (or being overweight), gender, history of injury or surgery to the joint, overuse of the joint and family history (i.e. genetics). Once the disease starts, it’s more than just wear and tear: cartilage and other joint tissue undergo structural changes. As soft tissue damage progresses, pain, swelling and loss of joint motion develop. While anyone can get OA, it commonly develops as people age. Women are more likely to develop OA than men, particularly after age 50 (after menopause, mostly). OA can develop in younger patients who have a history of joint injury, abnormal joint structure or a genetic defect in their joint cartilage.

Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Symptoms often begin slowly and in one or a few joints, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The most common symptoms of OA are pain, stiffness, swelling and decreased range of motion of the joints. Garth, whose symptoms began in her hips, first noticed “a different feeling in my joints; mostly stiffness, and an aching when I would bend.” Some feel that their joint is loose or unstable.

How is OA Diagnosed and Treated?

After performing a history and physical, your doctor will order imaging including an x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the affected joint(s). An x-ray may reveal loss of joint space, bone damage and remodeling as well as bone spurs; early joint injury may not appear on an x-ray. An MRI can show evidence of soft tissue damage in and around the joint. Blood tests and joint fluid samples may be obtained to rule out other causes of joint pain such as infection or gout.

While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, a step-wise treatment approach as outlined by the American Academy of Family Physicians can be effective at reducing symptoms. First-line treatment for mild osteoarthritis includes exercise, physical therapy and weight loss if overweight or obese.

Garth believes in this formula: “Diet, exercise, stretching and staying active really makes [symptoms] better.” Acetaminophen (Tylenol), NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as oral ibuprofen or naproxen, as well as topical agents like diclofenac (Voltaren gel), can reduce pain and swelling from inflammation. Garth experienced symptomatic relief from both foods and medications that reduce inflammation.

Moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis treatment options include glucosamine, chondroitin, opioids, steroid injection and possibly joint replacement surgery.

“Development of disease-modifying anti-OA drugs (DMOADs) has been very difficult,” explains David Pisetsky, MD, PhD, practicing rheumatologist and professor of medicine at Duke University. “Maybe targeting inflammation in some patients may be useful, but studies need to be done.”

Garth’s Message for Younger People

I ended my interview by asking the successful female entrepreneur what message she had for girls and young women about health and overall wellbeing. “I have a lot of messages,” said Garth. “Teaching young women about self-care is really important, physically and mentally. It’s all connected. There’s so much pressure on our young girls and young people in general to be perfect and to live up to what they’re seeing on their social media feeds. It takes a mental toll on them. So, getting messages out there to support them, [including] realistic images and expectations is really, really important to me. That’s why I was put on this earth.”

Garth’s emphasis on mental health certainly resonated with me. As a frontline doctor working three clinical jobs, writing for Forbes and making over 300 television appearances discussing all things Covid-19 – to which Garth remarked, “You have a lot on your plate!” – my burnout level was as high as the Empire State building. I thanked Garth for opening up about her own health story and using her platform to raise awareness about osteoarthritis, as well as mental health and positive messaging.

*Watch the full interview with Jennie Garth on my YouTube show, Health, Humor and Harmony.