Health Tips

Do you or someone you know suffer from arthritis? It is a common disease, you likely do. What type? Only a doctor can tell, but there are over 100 different types of arthritis. Despite this large number, they typically fall into two categories.

1 Osteoarthritis

This disease is most commonly found in men and women over the age of 65. It is also known as degenerative arthritis. This name comes from the progression of the disease. It beings with cartilage breakdown. The cartilage covering the bones degenerates and wears away. Essentially, sufferers have exposed bones. These bones then rub against each other, causing severe pain and discomfort. Many also experience difficultly moving.

The most noticeable symptom of osteoarthritis is joint pain. Stiffness is common the morning and after movement. All joints can be impacted by osteoarthritis, but the most common are the hips, feet, back, knees, and fingers. Those with arthritis problems in the hands and feet may find it difficult to walk without a limp and grasp otherwise easy objects.

As with most types of arthritis, there is not just one cause for osteoarthritis. There are many contributing factors. These include body weight, previous injuries, and genes. Although osteoarthritis typically affects the elderly, athletes who repeatedly use the same joints and suffer injury are at an increased risk. As for body weight, the joints and muscle surrounding them carry most of the bodys weight; more weight applies more pressure. Although rare, there are defects that can lead to osteoarthritis. These include a lack of protein that makes up cartilage and the poor fitting of bones and joints.

2 Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis affects over one million people in the United States. It does not discriminate, as individuals of all ages are susceptible to the disease. In fact, there are three types of rheumatoid arthritis for juveniles alone. The cause? The immune system is supposed to protect our body, but in some cases it does the exact opposite. With rheumatoid arthritis, it attacks the joint lining membrane.

The most noticeable symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is pain. If untreated, other complications can arise. The most common is disability. To prevent this from happening, all patients are urged to exercise their joints and muscles, even though it may be painful at first. Another common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is inflammation. The swelling can be mild to severe. In most instances, this is what separates rheumatoid arthritis from other forms. Swelling and inflammation is likely, but it is much more prominent and debilitating.

Luckily, rheumatoid arthritis suffers rarely experience constant pain. The disease flares up from time to time. These flare ups are trigged by joint overuse and certain foods. As for the cause, it is currently unknown. There are however many theories. One being genes.

3 Fibromyalgia

Although not always classified as a form of arthritis, fibromyalgia is an arthritis related condition. This disease affects over three million people in the United States. That number is actually higher, but some patients are misdiagnosed.

The most noticeable symptom of fibromyalgia is muscle pain. There are also tender spots in the muscle and body that are more susceptible to pain and pressure. Additional symptoms include headaches, bladder problems, difficulty thinking, fatigue, and sleep difficulty.

While researchers have yet to determine a connection, a good percentage of those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis later develop fibromyalgia. It wasnt bad enough that your joints hurt, but now the muscles in your body too? Additional causes may be related to prior injuries. Some studies have shown that those with previous injuries are more likely to develop the disease. Many experts believe the change in muscles, due to injury, can later lead to chronic pain and fibromyalgia.

Now that you are familiar with some of the most common types of arthritis, what comes next? If you or someone who you know suffers from arthritis, medical care is important. A proper diagnosis is important to developing the best treatment option. Low impact exercise can loosen the joints and strengthen the surrounding muscles. This not only eliminates joint stiffness, but it can later prevent disability and deformities.

Finally, some pain can be treated, but it will reoccur. Those suffering from arthritis need to learn how to manage their pain. This involves not focusing too much on it, eliminating stress, asking for help, getting a good night sleep, and learning how to calmly relax.

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What You Should Know About Arthritis
Robert Thatcher

Should the person experience some muscle pain which lasts more than 2 or 3 days, there is a strong chance that one has arthritis.
Arthritis is a common disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This can be felt in the persons joints, skin and organs inside the body. Should the person feel anything wrong, it is advisable to go straight to the doctor.
Doctors have discovered that there are over 100 types of arthritis. Given the number, the doctor will not be able to know which one is affecting the person without an examination.
There are 2 common forms of arthritis. The first is rheumatoid arthritis which is considered a chronic disease. There is inflammation in the joints caused by cartilage damage. Anyone who has this will suffer long term joint damage that will lead to chronic pain and disability. Pain is usually felt when waking up in the morning and will gradually disappear during the day.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a problem that will not go away. This happens in three stages. The first is swelling. The second is the rapid division and growth of cells. The third is when these cells release enzymes that will eat the bone causing the joint to lose shape until the person will not be able to move it anymore.
Since this is systemic disease, it can spread and affect other organs in the body. The best way to prevent is from happening is detecting it early to prevent the person from being disabled.
This can be treated with proper medication and therapy. There many drugs available that the patient can use. Some drugs offer pain relief to reduce the inflammation. Others can just do one function.
The second is called osteoarthritis. This happens more often than rheumatoid arthritis but unlike the first, there is no inflammation present. The cartilage in the joint is damaged and will eventually degenerate. Pain will slightly be felt when the person gets up but this will hurt later on during the day.
Osteoarthritis can either be primary or secondary. When it is primary, it is often associated with age. It is similar to a car where the parts have to be replaced due to wear and tear. Doctors consider this to be normal as people grow older.
The secondary type is often associated with something else that has caused this to happen. Some of these factors are an injury that took place, heredity, obesity and bone density.
Osteoarthritis can be treated with medication, exercise, weight control, joint protection, physical and occupational therapy. This is done to relieve the pain and slow the progression of the disease.
Both of these are caused by different things. The common thing between these 2 types is that joint pain can happen anywhere in the body.
Given the many medications available to treat this disease, the patient has to be aware of the side effects of each before choosing which one to use. The doctor should explain these to the person in order to make the right decision.
Arthritis and its different forms will not go away. Since this is an insurable disease, the best thing that the doctor and others can do until a cure if found is to help the patient ease the pain the slow the growth of the disease.

About The Author

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides arthritis resources on http://www.your-arthritis-resources.info.