Arthritis: Cause, Types, Symptoms & Treatment.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is an inflammatory disorder of joints causing serious inflammation. Arthritis is not a single disease, it is a group of joint pain related disorder. There are more than 100 different forms of arthritis. There are millions of people affected by some sort of arthritis. It is more common in elder people of age more than 60 years. Though Arthritis develops over time and it happens to all age group yet women and over weighted people are more likely to suffer with it.
What are the symptoms of arthritis?
The word arthritis is used to describe pain, swelling and stiffness in bone joint or joints. Joint pain, swelling stiffness are the main symptoms of the arthritis. It can affect in one or multiple joints of human body. Arthritis can make life tough by causing pain and making it harder to get about. The symptoms of arthritis can vary from week to week, and even from day to day. Motion of hands and legs are also affected. People also find it difficult to grip objects. In severe case it may produce permanent deformity if left untreated.
What causes arthritis?
As stated earlier, Arthritis is not a single disease but it is a group of bone joint related disorder. It may be difficult to say the exact cause of arthritis. There are several factors that can increase the risk of each type of arthritis. It could be that the genes you inherited from parents. Cartilage is a firm but flexible connective tissue that covers the bone joints. It protects the joints by absorbing the pressure and shock and works as a lubricant between joint to suppress friction. A deficiency of this cartilage tissue cause some forms of arthritis. The wear and tear of bones causes one type of arthritis.
Although there are hundreds of type of arthritis but two are the most common of them:
1. Osteoarthritis:
This is the most common form of arthritis. Around 70–80% of arthritis is Osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis starts with the roughening of cartilage between joint bones.
Due to self repair system of body following cases can happen:
- Tiny bits of extra bone, called osteophytes, can grow at the ends of a bone within a joint.
- There can be an increase in the amount of thick fluid inside the joint.
- The joint capsule can stretch, and the joint may lose its shape.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis depend on which joint or joints are affected. You may have:
- Deep, aching pain
- You will find trouble dressing, combing your hair, gripping things, bending over, squatting, or climbing stairs, depending on which joints are involved
- Morning stiffness that typically lasts less than 30 minutes
- Pain when walking
- Stiffness after resting
Your joint may be:
- Warm to the touch
- Swollen and harder to move
- Unable to move through a full range of motion
Arthritis is a big subject in itself to cover in one article. Follow me along on my next blog post of the Physio series to get authentic and useful information related to arthritis. In next post I will be discussing another major form of arthritis(Rheumatoid Arthritis), it’s symptoms and treatment.
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Till then Adios…
