Annelies (52): "At first, I thought it was just some muscle soreness"

Osteoarthritis often develops gradually over months or even years. This was also the case for Annelies. “It began with mild pain in my hands and knees. I struggled to make certain movements and would wake up feeling stiff in the mornings. At first, I assumed it was just muscle soreness. You get older, and I exercised a lot, so it seemed logical,” she says.

However, the pain worsened and began to interfere with her daily life, including her work at the salon. “I’m a beautician and run my own practice. My hands are, so to speak, my most important tools. After a while, I really started to worry.”

She realised her symptoms were serious. “The pain just wouldn’t go away, and I was afraid something was wrong, so I went to see my doctor. I underwent a thorough examination, including X-rays. That’s when I found out I had osteoarthritis.” The diagnosis came as a shock. “I was shocked and confused. How could I have osteoarthritis? I was only fifty!”

At that time, Annelies knew little about the condition, which affects around a million people in the Netherlands. Osteoarthritis is a form of joint wear and tear that is common in older people but can also develop at a younger age. “To be honest, I didn’t know you could get osteoarthritis at fifty,” she says. “The doctor explained that it was likely a combination of my age and the hormonal changes caused by menopause that triggered the osteoarthritis.”

Despite the shock, she also felt a sense of relief. “It was a relief to finally know what was going on. I finally understood what it was and what I could do about it.”

The doctor prescribed pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medication. Annelies recalls, “I was so happy to be able to function better at the salon again! That was my biggest fear: not being able to do my job anymore.”

After some time, she began to wonder if there were other solutions. “At some point, I got tired of relying on medication. I thought, I can’t just keep taking pills forever. There must be another way.” And there was.

“It’s not like I was living unhealthily, but when I started exploring my options, I discovered there were quite a few changes I could make to benefit my muscles and joints.”

What kind of changes? “I always liked convenience. If I didn’t have much time, two white bread rolls with cream cheese seemed like a perfectly fine lunch to me, and I often grabbed a muesli bar or a snack in between. Oh, and cola. An ice-cold can during a busy workday—that was my little indulgence.”