Monday 3 May 2010

Know the Causes and Types of Arthritis

Arthritis is frequently heard among adults who are experiencing joint pain. Arthritis majorly affects the joints and the musculoskeletal. Arthritis is considered as one of the leading causes of disability among population above 50 years of age.
The term Arthritis refers to a group of diseases and cannot be limited to single disease Osteoarthritis is one of the most common type of arthritis, which affects the elderly. Osteoarthritis is degenerative in nature and therefore affects the elderly.
There are various causes of arthritis and they vary depending upon the type of arthritis that one has. To understand the etiology of arthritis it is important to understand the physiology and anatomy of the joints.
Joints are the connectors between bones were as the ligaments keep bones in place and the muscles allow us to move freely. The cartilage is a stiff yet flexible connective tissue between bones, which helps in preventing friction and makes sure that our bones do not rub against each other. Cartilages have a covering, which help in moving the bones smoothly without pain. There is capsule, which produces a fluid known as synovial fluid that surrounds the joints and lines the cavity of the joints.
If you have joint pains it means that there is something wrong with your joints and you may have arthritis.the reason of the pain may vary depending on what kind of arthritis you have. It could be because the synovial fluid production is insufficient, or because the cartilage is wearing off or to whatever it is that is here could be various other reasons.
Apart from osteoarthritis, there are several other types of arthritis the most common once are rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and infectious arthritis. Juvenile arthritis although not degenerative like osteoarthritis is autoimmune and rheumatoid arthritis an inflammatory disorder and causes swelling and pain in the affected area.
Body weight is also known to affect the onset of arthritis and it is therefore recommended the overweight people should try to lose weight through regular exercise and controlling diet. Treatment for arthritis involves physiotherapy and occupational therapy, which helps the patients maintain joint mobility.

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