Find Out What You Must Know About Arthritis

Arthritis is widely thought to affect as many as twenty percent of the world’s population. A painful condition, it causes inflammation of the joints and the bones, and is most commonly found in those over the age of fifty. It can affect people of any age, often as a result of some trauma to the body previously.

Though there are as many as two hundred very different forms of the condition, the most common suffered are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Symptoms do vary depending on the type of condition being suffered, commonly suffers can expect to experience stiffness and restricted movement in the joints. This will shortly lead to pain being experienced and swelling of the affected area should be noticeable. The affected area will be warm to the touch, with redness on the skin.

Those suffering from osteoarthritis will most likely be affected in the knees, hips, hands and spine. The condition is caused by the gradual wasting away of the cartilage between the bones, which in turn leads to very painful rubbing of bone against bone.

Those affected: As part of the aging process in the majority, people over the age of fifty are the most likely group to be affected. However, if an individual suffers an injury or other bone/joint condition, it could also develop.

Rheumatoid arthritis: This condition often tends to be more painful, more quickly, due to its aggressive nature. Connected to the former condition, the body’s immune system attacks the affected areas, resulting in faster failure of the cartilage. As such, symptoms are likely to be worse and develop more suddenly.

Those affected: This condition can be suffered a lot earlier in life as a matter of normalcy; where people in their 40s are often diagnosed. Women too are likely to suffer in greater numbers, and whilst theories as to why this would be exist, there is no conclusive proof reasoning.

Though research continues across the world, there is presently no cure for any form of arthritis. However, there have been significant advances in treatment over the years, which slow the progress of the condition. Most of these treatments are in the form of medication; tablets, creams and lotions, though in some cases surgery can be scheduled.

The medication most likely to be used will be made up of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory’s, corticosteroids and analgesics. Though these can be used individually, they are also often used concurrently for a better form of attack.

Medication is also aided through the likes of physiotherapy and exercise. Such plans will be carefully designed with the medical team and professionals and will often take place in the clinic. However, it is also likely and advisable that exercise be taken outside of the treatment center.

These forms of treatment will always be the first plan of action of course. Over time however, it may be necessary to schedule surgery. This can be done in three ways; osteotomy, to ease movement through shaping the bone, arthrodesis, to prevent movement through fusing bone structure together and arthroplasty to replace the whole joint.

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