May is Arthritis Awareness Month, a time to draw attention to the painful joint condition that affects close to 60 million in the U.S. Jesse Reisner, DO, a rheumatologist at South Shore Medical Center, answers questions about arthritis causes, symptoms and treatments.

Also known as alpha-gal allergy or red meat allergy, alpha-gal syndrome is on the rise in Massachusetts, particularly on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard, where lone star ticks have expanded and become established.