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Arthritis Basics
What is Arthritis?
It is imperative for all adults to have at least a basic understanding of arthritis since most adults face some form of Arthritis. It is an extremely common and is among the oldest known disease among men and women. Only in recent years however, has the magnitude of the health problems associated with Arthritis been appreciated in the United States and throughout the world. As a result, a great deal of new knowledge, understanding, and treatment is available today. Medical scientists have discovered new leads in search for the causes of various forms of arthritis. Though cure is not yet available, treatment is generally satisfactory, especially if started within the first six months after onset. Fortunately, very few people today need to be crippled by arthritis.
The term arthritis is used to describe changes in the joints which may be either inflammatory or degenerative in character. If only one joint is affected the condition is referred to as monoarticular arthritis; if several joints are involved it is called polyarticular arthritis or polyarthritis (Greek: poly= many).
A Joint consists of the ends of the articulating bones which are covered with cartilage. It is surrounded and kept in position by a capsule and special ligaments which are lined by a membrane called the synovial membrane.
What are the symptoms of arthritis?
- The joints ache and swell
- Pain and muscle-spasm are common features; and in the late stages very severe pain and gross destruction and deformity of the joints may develop.
- In children the condition tends to develop suddenly, many joints being affected from the beginning the small joint soft the hands ad feet being as a rule affected first.
- Severe muscle wasting might also take place
- Patients of arthritis can only walk a certain distance after which they tend to feel pain and stiffness in their joints.
- Arthritis can also develop slowly starting as a slight restriction of movement in certain directions, with stiffness first thing in the morning and aches after exercises.
- Arthritis can be both of the infective variety as well as the chronic.
- In infective arthritis the patient feels ill and toxic with a swinging temperature and a furred tongue. Leucocytes are always evident, and a blood culture may confirm the presence of the septicemia.
Some common forms of Arthritis:
- Rheumatic arthritis(fibromyalgia)
- Rheumatoid arthritis(Still's Disease)
- Gout
- Degenerative, e.g. osteo-arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
The above mentioned are all different form of arthritis and they all have different cures and therapies as well as symptoms. The common strand binding them is that they are all marked by severe pain in the joints.