Do you feel a pain while climbing up a flight of steps? Or do you have to struggle with your knees while stepping out of your car? Aches such as these may not be one-off cases ? doctors claim they are early symptoms of arthritis, which, if not treated, could leave you crippled.

?An increasing number of people in their late 30s and early 40s are turning up with problems related to arthritis. It?s no more a disease of the aged,? said city-based orthopaedic surgeon Ronen Roy.

?While one can?t pinpoint the causes, it seems the change in lifestyle, including food habits, and obesity are responsible for the rise in the number of arthritics,? he added.

While any of the weight-bearing joints of the body can be affected by the disease, what?s disturbing doctors is that most patients are turning up with problems in the knees.

?The more you gain weight, the more is the susceptibility of your weight-bearing joints to wear and tear. As far as our observation goes, it?s the knees that get affected the most,? said P.K. Bannerjee, head of the orthopaedics department at Peerless Hospital.

As for treatment of arthritic knees, a section of doctors is rooting for Rotating Platform (RP) Knee ? a surgery that offers greater flexibility to the patient compared to the traditional total knee replacement operation.

The RP Knee closely follows the movement of a natural knee ? can twist and turn, move back and forth, and also flex and extend.

?It?s unique to the extent that the plastic insert rotates in the tibial tray, spreading weight-bearing load over the largest area possible and reducing the stress on the knee. I have regained the spring in my feet back, thanks to the surgery,? said Bishen Singh Bedi, former Indian cricket captain.