You may notice the onset of arthritis in a variety of ways. Your joints might crack suddenly, like knees upon standing. Other joints may be stiff and creak. There might be pain, like when trying to open a jar.
What’s it all about? Let’s look at the basics and learn more.
Arthritis actually means “joint inflammation†and has over 100 related conditions or forms of the disease. Left untreated, it can advance, resulting in joint damage that cannot be undone or reversed. Thus, early detection and treatment are important.
The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although both have similar symptoms, they happen for different reasons.
When joints are overused and misused, the results can be OA. What happens is that the cushioning cartilage that protects the joint breaks down, resulting in the bones rubbing together. This generally happens in the knees, but can be found in the hips, spine and hands as well. You may not even notice any pain until later stages, after quite a bit of cartilage is already lost.
The second type, RA, refers to the body’s immune system attacking joint tissue. Still not fully understood in the medical community, this condition most often starts in a person’s hands, wrists, and feet. Then it advances to shoulders, elbows, and hips.
Common symptoms between the two types include pain, stiffness, fatigue, weakness, slight fever, and inflamed tissue lumps under the skin. And both OA and RA generally develop symmetrically, i.e. affecting the same joints on both the left and right sides of the body.
A difference between OA and RA to note is with swelling. With RA, people report “soft and squishy†swelling. While with OA, people report “hard and bony†swelling.
Another difference is that a person is more likely to develop RA if a sibling or parent had it. A person with a history of joint damage, either an injury or chronic strain, runs a higher risk for developing OA.
There is no specific age for arthritis sufferers. While it can affect every age group, it seems to focus on those over 45 years of age.
And while neither gender is immune, a reported 74 percent of OA cases (or just over 15 million) occur with women and a slightly lower percentage of RA cases occur with women.
People with excess weight tend to develop OA, especially in the knees when reaching over 45 years of age. However, losing weight can turn the odds around almost by half. Regular activity combined with exercise also reduces risk, strengthening joint muscles and reducing joint wear.
Although there are no cure-alls for arthritis, there are a variety of pain relief treatment strategies. Aside from medications, remedies, replacement alternatives, and other helpful treatment options and alternatives, the four main arthritis relief aids are gentle exercise, good nutrition, a positive attitude, and rest. Each of these will be discussed further in subsequent postings, because education can play a huge role to dispel “old wives tales†and myths that “nothing can be done about arthritis.†Notable is that today, only a small percentage of those afflicted with arthritis become crippled. And most never need canes, wheelchairs, or other ambulatory devices.
Also note that if you suspect you may have arthritis, it is advisable to seek medical advice. This is primarily because healthcare providers can help to determine if the symptoms are not something else like a virus or tendonitis or other similar problem that could potentially worsen if left untreated.
