Golden years can be wonderful and retirement can be liberating and adventurous. Sometimes, though, golden years come with a caveat. Today’s caveat: for active, fun-filled and fulfilling retirement, take good care of your joints.

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. It is a serious and common problem that affects seniors more often than younger people.

The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which usually increase with age. Although there are others, the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the wearing out and fraying of cartilage. The cartilage is made of hard, smooth tissue; it covers the ends of bones where they meet to form a joint.

This covering makes it possible for bones to slide upon each other when a joint flexes or extends. Osteoarthritis causes swelling, pain and creaking in the affected joints, especially after repeated use.

Joint overuse may speed up the development of osteoarthritis. For example, being overweight can cause knee joints to wear out sooner, because of the heavier load and more friction.

Yet osteoarthritis does not always happen because of joint overuse. When it involves the hands and feet, osteoarthritis may have a genetic basis and can run in families.

Rheumatoid arthritis also injures the cartilage, but in a different way. This disease happens when a disorder of the immune system causes it to attack the lining of joints.

Doctors do not know the exact reason the immune system malfunctions. However, something seems to provoke the immune system to attack the joints. Some experts think exposure to a virus or bacteria may change the immune system, causing it to turn against the body.

Whatever the cause, the immune system’s action causes the lining of joints to become swollen and inflamed. This leads to irritation and damage of the cartilage. Because of the inflammation, fluid can also build up in the joints. With time, the damage may extend beyond the cartilage into the underlying bone.

Joints may become painful, swollen and warm to the touch. Joints may also become stiff, especially in the morning or after not moving for a long time.

Some people have a higher risk of arthritis than others. For example, rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women than men. Osteoarthritis is more common in those who sustained a joint injury and the overweight.

If you think you may have arthritis, you should visit a doctor. Your doctor may do a physical examination, perform laboratory testing or order an imaging study to figure out what is troubling your joints.

The treatment will depend on the type and severity of your arthritis. Sometimes, a mild pain reliever will be enough. Other times, anti-inflammatory medications may be needed.

Disease-modifying agents or even biologic response modifiers have shown effectiveness in more serious cases.

If the disease progresses far enough, joint replacement surgery may be appropriate.

Here are a few things you can do at home to lessen the effects of arthritis:

• Lose some weight. If you have excess weight, losing weight will reduce the stress on your weight-bearing joints. This may increase your mobility and limit future joint injury.

• Exercise. Regular exercise can help to keep your joints flexible. Swimming and aquatic therapy may be good choices because of their low-impact nature.

Still, you have to pace yourself. During osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups, when joint inflammation worsens, it is best to rest the joints. In any case, it is important to discuss exercise with your doctor before starting.

• Heat and cold therapy. Proper use of heating pads or ice packs may help to lessen arthritis pain.

• Assistive devices. Using canes, walkers, raised toilet seats and other similar devices can help to protect your joints from stress and improve your ability to perform daily tasks.

Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, early and aggressive treatment has proven helpful in preventing disability and increasing the chance of remission.

Likewise, there is no cure for osteoarthritis — in this condition, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

• Mike Serebrennik is a physician by training and now a full-time entrepreneur, investor and writer. He is also a director of product development and sourcing at Lighthouse Medical Supplies Ltd, a local company dedicated to helping patients and healthcare providers lower the cost and increase the quality of care