Arthritis

Pain in the joints that's caused by the breaking down of the cartilage or when the joint lining becomes inflammed is called arthritis. This is one of the most serious ailments that affects people in America. Cases of arthritis have grown since 1998 from 33 million cases to 66 million cases of arthritis in 2005.

Arthritis comes in two different forms. There is rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis the lining of the joints become inflammed. Osteoarthritis happens when the bones start to rub against one another because the cartilage that covers the bones start to shrink and eventually dies.

Some other ailments that are commonly associated with arthritis are:

• Fibromyalgia
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout
• Ankylosing Spondylitis

There are also about 100 different kinds of pain in the joints that are all loosely called arthritis. The muscoskeletal system of the body is affected by all of these. They can also affect organs such as the heart and lungs.

Some people think you only get arthritis when you are old. This is untrue. Children can get juvenile arthritis. Old people can get arthritis and everyone in between. Women are most likely to get arthritis. Arthritis in the United States is the second leading cause of work disability. 1st is heart disease.

Some of the affects of arthritis are:

• Weakening of the joints
• Inflammation of the lining of the joints
• Pain
• Stiffiness

Arthritis usually strikes the knees, hips, fingers, wrists, spine, shoulders, ankles and elbows. This makes it hard for those who suffer from arthritis to climb stairs, walk the dog and get dressed everyday activities.

If you start feeling pain in your joints or stiffiness when walking you will want to get a medical opinion right away. You may be suffering from osteoarthritis. If your joints are red, hot or tender this could be a case of rheumatoid arthritis.

There are many causes that result in arthritis. If your an athlete or worker who does repetitive movements with your joints this could cause the cartilage to start breaking up. Cartilage can sometimes completely break which causes the bones to rub against each other. This causes sever pain. Joints sometimes can get disfigured. This causes reduced movement or make it impossible to move.

Another cause of arthritis is if you are over weight. The cartilage gets stretched in this case due to the pressure on the knees from the extra weight. Osteoarthritis strike women at the age of 45 or older and it also happens alot to people if their joints are improperly aligned. But the biggest cause of arthritis is old age because all of our ligaments get a weaker as we age.

When the bodies immune system doesn't work right is why you get rheumatoid arthritis. The joint lining swells causing intense pain. This is more painful then osteoarthritis because it affects multiple joints. All in all people with arthritis need to take care of their health so that they can live a life as normal as possible.