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Arthritis, very briefly, is the inflammation of joints. You have a "knee joint" between the thigh bone and the leg bone. If something causes injury inside that joint it can get enlarged and very painful. The picture to the left is a normal knee joint. (See below for diagrams of both a healthy and an unhealthy knee joint. See further below a knee replacement X-Ray. |
Some people have a "trick finger" which moves OK up to a point of resistance and then "snaps" through that resistance, with pain, and then can move further on the other side of that resistance. The resistance is within a joint of the finger. When this condition gets very bad the fingers can get permanently and painfully curled into an almost closed condition.
Below you will find more technical definitions and you will find, as you pursue those definitions, that medical science lumps many different problems into the "arthritis" category.
You'll find on these web pages that I simplify "arthritis" to mean, simply, some pain or swelling in a joint, caused by some toxin. This is undoubtedly too broad for a medical diagnosis, but it will serve well for the person who has that pain and is looking for information about the treatment of that situation.
When someone objects to such a simple definition you can be pretty sure that they have been listening to too many "authorities."
Different types of some health problem are usually invented to make it easier to sell some particular drug.
The drug company says: "Oh, if you have lumbular telcknisis vertabraic arthritis" you need "Ordemine III," the best drug for treating that condition.
The word arthritis derives from:
arth- -- a root word meaning joint, as in the joint between two bones
-itis -- an ending often used with words to indicate an inflamed condition, such as appendicitis, tonsillitis, etc.
Inflammation is defined, medically, as:
| . . .a localized protective response elicited by injury
or destruction of tissues, which serves to
destroy, dilute, or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissue. It is characterized
in the acute form by the classical signs of
pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function.
The word joint is defined as: |
Table Of Contents:
Definition
Causes, incidence, and
risk factors
Prevention
Symptoms
Signs and tests
Treatment
Expectations
(prognosis)
Complications
With some injuries and some diseases the inflammation does not
go away and this is considered arthritis. Altogether there are more than 100
kinds of arthritis, and there are many different diseases that can cause it. Gout and scleroderma are
two such diseases. Arthritis can also develop as a complication of another
disease caused by a virus, bacteria, or fungus. Gonorrhea is one of these diseases. When this happens
it is considered infections arthritis. Autoimmune
disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are
diseases in which something goes wrong with the immune system and it attacks
healthy parts of the body.
Arthritis can occur in males and females of
all ages. About 37 million people in America have arthritis of some kind. That
is almost 1 out of every 7 people.
Some of the diseases associated with
arthritis include:
Prevention:
Most cases
are not preventable. Awareness of a family history of arthritis-related
conditions may allow earlier recognition and earlier treatment of a disorder.
Some scientists believe that osteoarthritis
may develop in some people because they have abused their joints (injured them
many times or over-used them while they were injured). Taking care not to
over-work a damaged or sore joint may postpone or help eliminate development of
osteoarthritis in some people.
Excess weight also increases your risk
for developing osteoarthritis, particularly in the knees, and possibly in the
hips and hands. Women are at special risk for this. In men, being over-weight
increases the risk for developing gout. It is
important to maintain your recommended weight, especially as you get older.
Research shows that if middle-age and older women of average height who
are over weight, lose 11 pounds or more over 10 years, they can cut their risk
for developing knee osteoarthritis in half.
Signs and tests:
Physical examination may show a fluid collection
around the joint (called an effusion). The joint may be tender when it is gently
pressed. When attempting to rotate the
joint through its normal movements, there may be some pain or difficulty moving
it in certain or all directions. This is called limited range-of-motion.
Tests vary depending on the suspected cause. They may include various
blood, joint fluid, muscle, or urine tests and joint X-rays (X-rays are seldom needed). See the
specific types of arthritis.
MEDICATIONS:
Medications to reduce joint pain and joint swelling may include aspirin, nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, gold
salts, penicillamine, the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, and
immunosuppressive drugs, which are drugs that slow the immune system. (Note:
These medications can have severe side effects. You should consult with your
health care provider before taking any medication, even over-the-counter
medications, for more than a couple of days!)
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SURGERY One of the major purposes of this web site is to help
you avoid this type of "solution" to arthritic pain!
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LIFESTYLE CHANGES:
Both rest and exercise are important. Warm baths, massage, and stretching
exercises may be helpful. Making some modifications in daily activities or using
assistive devices to ensure joint protection is recommended.
OTHER
THERAPY:
Physical therapy for muscle and joint
rehabilitation may be recommended in severe cases.
Expectations
(prognosis):
Some arthritis-related disorders can be
completely cured with treatment. Others are chronic,
or long-term and treatment aims at controlling the pain and minimizing joint
damage. Chronic arthritis frequently goes in and out of remission.
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