Jennie Garth Is Opening Up About The Diagnosis That Shocked Her

Jennie Garth is opening up about the diagnosis she got a few years back that "shocked" her because of her age. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress was diagnosed with osteoarthritis around the age of 45 and thought she wasn't "old enough" to be diagnosed with the common form of arthritis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, arthritis occurs "when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time." The condition can affect any joint but is most commonly found in the knees, hips, spine, and hands. And while the damage is not reversible, symptoms can be managed by staying active and receiving treatment.

She recently told PEOPLE, "I was sort of shocked to hear that news from my doctor after going in and complaining about some pain in my knees and my hips and different places around my body and wondered what was going on. And I was shocked to hear the word arthritis come out of his mouth." She continued to explain why she didn't expect that diagnosis. "Because I kind of associate arthritis with...I'm not old enough to have arthritis. Let's put it that way," she said. "But yeah, you can have arthritis at any age and I wasn't really aware of that."

Garth thinks that living an active lifestyle and her years of physical activity may have contributed to her diagnosis but said that arthritis also runs in her family. "I started talking to my mom and other members of my family, finding out that they suffer from it as well," she said. "So many people do but they don't want to talk about it."

Garth alleviates her pain through her partnership with Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory gel, as well as their CareWalks initiative for September's Pain Awareness Month. Garth isn't shying away from discussing the condition and said she is "stoked" to be able to use her platform to help others. "This is just an opportunity to kind of use my situation to open up conversations and help other people with that," she said. "To find out how to use Voltaren Gel to help, it was a great thing for me. But also to be able to share that information with other people who are suffering from arthritis pain."

The actress said she's now in a good place with managing her arthritis. "It's something that you just start to sort of live with and learn how to manage and through different products and different exercise and diet regimes," she explained. "It's very important to be your own health advocate. You're sort of the CEO of you. You really run your business. Because no one else is going to."

The mom of three, Luca, 25, Lola, 19, and Fiona, 15, stays active and works on her mental health, and attributes that to being in a good place at 50. She practices meditation daily, takes walks, and is an avid golfer. She also said she's been in therapy since her 20s. "I've learned so much about myself and how to take care of myself," she told Yahoo Life. "Through therapy, I've learned how to take care of myself."

Turning 50 earlier this year brought on some changes for the actress. She felt it was "a bit of a mental roller coaster" but was determined to stay positive throughout all the changes. "It's a milestone. But I have to say, that you do come into a really cool space at 50 - a place of inner confidence and quiet, and it really feels good," she explained. "I didn't think it would feel this good, but it really does."