What is arthritis?
There are over 100 types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. The word “arthritis” means “joint inflammation.” Inflammation is one of the body’s natural reactions to disease or injury, and includes swelling, pain, and stiffness. Inflammation that lasts for a very long time or recurs, as in arthritis, can lead to tissue damage. A joint is where two or more bones come together, such as the hip or knee. The bones of a joint are covered with a smooth, spongy material called cartilage, which cushions the bones and allows the joint to move without pain. The joint is lined by a thin film of tissue called the synovium. The synovium’s lining produces a slippery fluid called synovial fluid that nourishes the joint and helps reduce friction. Strong bands of tissue, called ligaments, connect the bones and help keep the joint stable. Muscles and tendons also support the joints and enable you to move. With arthritis, an area in or around a joint becomes inflamed, c
The word arthritis is derived from the Greek word arthron (joint) and suffix -itis (inflammation). For people who have arthritis, the word variously signifies pain, swelling, redness, and heat that may be caused by tissue injury or disease in the joint. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is called a degenerative joint disease because it results from the deterioration of the bones and cartilage that make up the joints. The second most common type of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, is an inflammatory disease that affects the lining of multiple joints, especially in the hands and feet. Although it affects only one-tenth as many people as osteoarthritis, it can be far more debilitating. The other rheumatic diseases discussed in this report — gout, pseudogout, ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, enteropathic arthritis, and infectious arthritis — are also characterized by inflammation.
The word arthritis comes from the Greek arthron meaning “joint” and the Latin itis meaning “inflammation”. The plural of arthritis is arthritides. Arthritis affects the musculoskeletal system, specifically the joints. It is the main cause of disability among people over fifty-five years of age in industrialized countries. Arthritis is not a single disease – it is a term that covers over 100 medical conditions. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and generally affects elderly patients. Some forms of arthritis can affect people at a very early age.
Arthritis affects the joints and nearby tissues. Joints are places in the body where bones meet, such as the elbows and knees. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. • Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease that causes pain in the hips, knees, neck, back, or hands. Being overweight, playing sports, and overusing joints in other ways can hurt them and lead to OA. With time, the cushions on the ends of the bones in the joint get thin or wear off, and the bones can rub against each other. • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that strikes joints in the hands and feet. In rheumatoid arthritis, the body attacks its own healthy tissues. This damages the lining of joints and causes pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Many people use the word “arthritis” without knowing the meaning. Arthritis is really not a single disease. There are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, all of which affect one or more joints in the body. The word arthritis comes from two Greek words, arth meaning “joint” and itis, meaning “inflammation”. Thus arthritis is “inflammation of a joint”, which is somewhat misleading because in many kinds of arthritis the joint is not inflamed or swollen. The pain however may be nagging. Or at its worst, it can be physically and mentally crippling. What is a joint? A joint is formed by the meeting of the ends of two or more bones connected to each other by special tissues. The knee joint, for example, is formed by the thighbone (called femur) and the shinbone (or tibia) and is a hinge joint. The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint, formed by the ball-shaped upper end of the femur fitting into the socket of the pelvic bone. The bone ends forming a joint are covered with a smooth layer of
