Arthritis Basics

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is the general name for a group of over 100 different rheumatic diseases. This ailment affects more than 40 million Americans in one form or another. The term “arthritis” literally means joint inflammation.  Inflammation occurs in reaction to some kind of disease or injury to the body, and, in the case of chronic arthritis, can eventually lead to tissue damage.

SYMPTOMS

If you believe you might have arthritis, don’t pass it off as simple aches and pains. Arthritis can be permanently debilitating. If you feel the following symptoms describe your condition, get in touch with a rheumatologist, but most forms of arthritis are not emergencies.

There is often little doctors can do for stiff joints other than recommend rest and conditioning.

 Guidelines

 1. Pain can be in one or more joints

 2. Pain can be consistent or intermittent

 3. Pain can be light to moderate (if severe, contact a doctor)

 4. Anyone can get arthritis (3/5 of all cases are in people under 65)

Make sure its not simple joint pain. Common symptoms of arthritis:

• Look for swelling or tight, shiny skin around the painful joint area

• Feel the temperature; hot joints may be arthritic

• Crackling or grating sounds when moving

• Pain is increased when you first wake up

• Joint pain is symmetrical (both left and right wrists hurt, for example)

TYPES AND CAUSES

• Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflammation of joints or their linings. RA is an autoimmune disease. Antibodies attack the synovial membranes around joints and break them down.

 • Possibly due to hormones, women are 80% more likely to get RA then men.

 • 80% of people with RA have low red blood cell counts (anaemia)

• Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative arthritis and affects 16 million Americans. It occurs when the cartilage between joints breaks down, normally due to aging.
• Psoriatic arthritis only occurs in about five percent of people with the skin disease psoriasis. Bone tissue becomes inflamed and can cause severe pain.
• Gout is a serious condition that can cause severe joint pain. It occurs when acid builds up in a joint and creates crystals in the joints. Over 70% of those with gout are men.
• Fibromyalgia syndrome is a widespread and painful mucle and skeletal pain disorder. It is similar to chronic fatigue syndrome, and its cause is unknown. Although it may feel like a joint arthritis, it is not a true form of arthritis and does not cause joint deformities. Instead, it is a form of soft tissue or muscular rheumatism.

TREATMENTS

COX-2 inhibitors regulate the release of an enzyme that can lead to arthritis. Arthritis treatment took a large step forward when the FDA approved the first COX-2 inhibitor, Celebrex, in 1998, and Vioxx a year later.

Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are effective painkillers for those with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Drugs like Remicade block the production of proteins that lead to joint inflammation.

Careful exercise can also go a long way to relieving arthritic pain. Moderate physical activity is helpful in strengthening joints and can help prevent the onset of arthritis. However, you should be careful not to further damage your joints while exercising. Get a doctor’s help to develop an exercise program that’s right for you.