Adam Waxler | Health And Wellness Tips

Arthritis Basics
Adam Waxler

Arthritis affects people in a variety of ways. Joints may be stiff and creak. For others who suffer from arthritis, joints might crack suddenly, like knees upon standing. For many arthritis sufferers, pain occurs, like when trying to open a jar.
Whats it all about? Lets take a look at the basics of arthritis and learn more.
Arthritis actually means joint inflammation and has over 100 related conditions or forms of the disease. If arthritis is left untreated, it can advance, resulting in joint damage that cannot be reversed. Therefore, early detection of arthritis and arthritis treatment are important.
The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although both type of arthritis have similar symptoms, both happen for different reasons. When joints are overused and misused, the results can be osteoarthritis (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. And, only in the later stages of osteoarthritis will a person most often feel pain, after quite a bit of cartilage is lost.
The second type, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), refers to the bodys immune system attacking joint tissue. Still not fully understood in the medical community, rheumatoid arthritis most often starts in a persons hands, wrists and feet. Then rheumatoid arthritis advances to shoulders, elbows and hips.
Similar symptoms include pain, stiffness, fatigue, weakness, slight fever, and inflamed tissue lumps under the skin. And both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis generally develop symmetrically, i.e. affecting the same joints on both the left and right sides of the body.
A difference in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to note is with swelling. With rheumatoid arthritis, people report soft and squishy swelling. While with osteoarthritis, people report hard and bony swelling.
Another difference between the two types of arthritis is that a person is more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis if a sibling or parent had it. While a person with a history of joint damage, either an injury or chronic strain, runs a higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.
Arthritis can affect any age group. However, while there is no specific age for arthritis sufferers, arthritis seems to focus on those over 45 years of age.
And, while neither gender is immune, a reported 74 percent of osteoarthritis cases (or just over 15 million) occur with women and a slightly lower percentage of rheumatoid arthritis cases occur with women.
Furthermore, your health, particularly your weight, plays a role in the development of arthritis. People with excess weight tend to develop osteoarthritis, 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 of arthritis, 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, the four main arthritis relief aids are gentle exercise, good nutrition, a positive attitude, and rest. Education also plays a huge role to dispel old wives tales and myths that nothing can be done about arthritis.
If you suspect you may have arthritis, it is advisable to seek medical advice. The sooner you detect the arthritis and the type of arthritis the better off youll be. Furthermore, your symptoms may not be caused by arthritis, but may be caused by something else like a virus or tendonitis or other similar problem that could potentially worsen if left untreated.
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler

About The Author

Adam Waxler publishes a series of health & fitness information products and web sites including his new resource filled with with FREE articles and tips on Arthritis Pain Relief & Prevention @ http://www.1-800-health-teacher.com/arthritis.

In order to understand how to handle arthritis pain, you need to understand how the body works and how arthritis can impede the body from working properly. Once someone has a general understanding of the science behind arthritis, one can better understand how to handle arthritis pain and get some arthritis relief.
First of all, there are several different types of arthritis. The two most commonly known forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there are three other major types of arthritis. These other forms of arthritis are systemic lupus erythematosis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout. Lets take a look at each:
Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE) This form of arthritis mainly affects women. It develops in the skin, internal organs and joints.
Ankylosing Spondylitis This form or arthritis affects the spine and can also affect the ankles, knees, lungs, heart, shoulders and eyes.
Gout This is a painful affliction mainly for men, about one million of them in the United States alone. Uric acid build up, due to an internal chemical malfunction, forms crystals that get stuck in a joint, generally the big toe, and become inflamed.
Where two bones meet, called joints, are covered with cartilage, also known as gristle. This cartilage is sturdy, elastic, and spongy or compressible, and keeps the bones from moving against each other at the joint. Healthy joints can handle some fairly heavy pressure. For example, when taking a walk a persons knees handle a force of three to four times a persons total body weight, while deep knee bends can increase to nine times the bodys weight. Unfortunately, arthritis effects how joints function properly in your body.
Surrounding the bones and cartilage is a strong, fibrous capsule lined with synovium, a thin membrane that lubricates the joint area with fluid. The end result is less friction or smoother rubbing together of the bones. This fluid also feeds the cartilage cells, keeping them healthy, and is pumped into them during joint movement. Therefore, lack of movement can be unhealthy. By understanding more about how joints work it is easy to see why exercise plays a crucial role in arthritis relief.
Arthritic joints can be affected with inflammation when bacteria or a virus (or other undesirable element) enters the joint area or when an injury occurs. What happens is when foreign matter enters this area or the area sustains injury, white blood cells, antibodies and other natural fighting mechanisms automatically kick in internally to help. These fighters cause swelling, redness and heat as the body fluid moves around. Symptoms of inflammation, one of the uncomfortable issues associated with arthritis pain, are redness, swelling and tender joints.
The exact science of what actually causes arthritis is still being researched. For most forms of arthritis, the causes are unknown. Injury, overuse of joints and mechanical issues with joints (like skeletal abnormalities, worn out joint muscles) can lead to arthritis. Many arthritis experts also point to issues relating to bacteria as one of the main culprits causing arthritis. Heredity, stress, drugs, food allergies and viruses have also been linked to some forms of arthritis. Likewise, diet, poor circulation, and lack of movement have also been connected to arthritis.
While it appears that arthritis may be caused by many factors, the good news is that at least some of these factors can be controlled. Clearly, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise will go along way towards arthritis relief.
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler

About The Author