Creaky knees and throbbing shoulders? You’re not alone. The number of Americans with severe joint pain is rapidly increasing … and it’s not only older adults. The Centers for Disease Control predict that an astonishing 78 million adults over the age of 18 – 26 percent of the nation’s population – will have a doctor-diagnosed arthritis. So you’re not alone if you want to know how to maintain healthy joints.

While these statistics may be disparaging, living with joint pain doesn’t need to be painful or limiting. As part of its ongoing mission to bringing quality restorative and preventative health resources to the community, St. Luke’s Medical Center, along with Hedley Orthopaedic Institute and Arizona Institute of Footcare Physicians, members of Steward Health Care, is offering the general public a FREE, interactive joint health seminar from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa’s Herberger Ballroom.

Attendees will hear from physicians from Hedley Orthopaedic Institute and the Arizona Institute of Footcare Physicians about all aspects of joint health – from hips and shoulders to knees and feet. This includes learning ways to keep joints healthy, the latest on arthritis and options for treatment, including joint replacement procedures, robotic innovations, regenerative medicine and more.

The joint specialists on site will also give attendees a special demonstration of their newest high-tech weapon – the MAKO robotic-arm assisted technology – in the fight for mobility. MAKO has transformed how joint replacement surgery is performed, helping surgeons deliver patients with a highly personalized surgical experience based on their specific diagnosis and bone-and-joint architecture.

While each physician will deliver a short presentation on individual aspects of joint health, including details about joint replacement advancements, sports injuries, back pain and more, they will also form a panel, giving attendees the opportunity to ask a range of questions about joint health.

As a special treat, attendees will be welcomed by the Phoenix Suns Gorilla and dancers before enjoying a FREE FootMaxx Gait Analysis and breakfast.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged as space is limited. Attendees can register online at stlukesmedcenter.org or over the phone at: 1-877-351-WELL (9355). A complimentary continental breakfast will be served.