I'll never forget the day I noticed I was moving like my grandmother.

It was shortly after my 40th birthday.

When I got out of bed one morning and took my first steps toward the bathroom, I felt this sharp pain in my knee that shot down into my foot and up through my hip.

In my head, I wanted to walk smoothly across the bedroom, but all I could do was shuffle painfully. As I shifted weight to my other leg, I felt a familiar twinge in my lower back. Even my shoulders were stiff and aching.

I felt old, defeated, and frustrated.

Now that I was worried about the fact that I was moving like an elderly person, I started thinking about all the other health challenges my grandmother was facing.

Joint pain, limited mobility, stiffness. She had already undergone two knee surgeries and was considering a hip replacement.

I started to panic thinking, “If I’m moving like my grandmother, how long will it be before I’m facing the same limitations and surgeries?”

It wasn't long until I sought advice from my doctor.

He explained that I was showing all the early signs of cellular joint deterioration.

He said that cellular joint deterioration is often the root cause of reduced mobility and can lead to further health complications if not addressed early.

He and his medical colleagues had been referring to untreated joint pain as “The Silent Mobility Thief” for years.

Determined to understand more, I did a deep dive into the causes and effects of joint pain. What I discovered was alarming and eye-opening.