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What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is:
- A disorder that causes pain, stiffness and swelling in or around joints
- A chronic disorder affecting about 40 million Americans and nearly half of people 65 years old and older
- A condition that can be painful, but you can do things to manage the pain and feel better
What are the types of arthritis?
The two most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. These are separate diseases that affect people in different ways.
Rheumatoid arthritis involves inflammation of the joints. It occurs when white blood cells (which usually fight germs and disease) move into the lining, or synovium, of the joints. This damages the joint and causes pain, stiffness and swelling. It can affect your entire body and often causes overall symptoms in addition to joint pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is most commonly diagnosed in people age 25 to 50, but can affect people of all ages, including children.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is also called "degenerative joint disease" and most often involves the back, hips and knees. The disorder results from long-term "wear and tear" or a previous injury. Osteoarthritis usually is diagnosed in people older than 40. Nearly everyone over 70 has osteoarthritis in at least one joint, but not everyone develops symptoms.
There are many other types of rheumatic disorders. Not all of them are diagnosed mainly in adults. Juvenile arthritis is the name of a group of arthritis-related conditions that can affect children.
How can you prevent arthritis?
You can cut your risk of getting symptomatic osteoarthritis by maintaining a normal weight. Being overweight puts more stress on your weight-bearing joints and raises your risk for knee pain (and possibly hip pain).
If you're overweight, losing just 10 pounds will significantly reduce your risk of getting osteoarthritis in your knees. If you've wanted to take off weight for some time, don't feel that you have to take it all off all at once. Just set your sights on taking off the first 10 or 11 pounds, and you will have accomplished a significant reduction in your health risk.
How can you get help for arthritis?
See your doctor if you think you have arthritis.
Describe your symptoms to your doctor. Where do you feel joint pain? How long does your joint pain or stiffness last? When did you first start having this type of pain? Are you having problems doing certain activities? Have you ever injured the affected joint? Does anyone else in your family have similar symptoms?
Your primary doctor can evaluate and treat most cases of arthritis. In some cases, patients are referred to arthritis specialists. These specialists are called rheumatologists.
How can you cope with arthritis?
If you are already being treated for arthritis:
- Learn as much as you can about what type of arthritis you have and how the disease affects you. Also, enlist your family members or close friends in this effort so that they can become informed as well.
- Follow your doctor's treatment recommendations. Make sure you see a doctor who communicates well with you.
- Exercise (according to your doctor's recommendations) to help you feel better, to extend your movement and to increase your strength.
- Protect your joints. Use your stronger joints to carry out tasks, avoid stress on joints affected by arthritis and use assistive devices to make daily life easier. Ask your doctor for more information.
- Your doctor cannot make the pain go away completely but can help you with strategies to reduce joint pain. Ask for help with pain management if you feel your current treatment is not adequately addressing this.
- Don't believe everything you hear when it comes to "miracle treatments" or "cures" for arthritis. If an advertised remedy sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Check with your doctor before spending your money or potentially risking your health on it.
- Follow the latest news on arthritis research, as provided by reputable organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation or the National Institutes of Health. Get to know the reputable organizations so that you can distinguish them from commercial groups with similar sounding names.
Points to remember
- Arthritis is a common condition that is becoming even
more frequent in the United States as the average age of the
population increases.
- Arthritis is a leading cause of disability and a
significant public health concern.
- There is more than one type of arthritis. Rheumatoid
arthritis (for example) affects people differently than
osteoarthritis.
- Arthritis can affect children and adults.
- Maintaining a normal weight or losing 10 pounds if you
are overweight helps reduce the risk of osteoarthritis and
reduces joint stress if you already have arthritis.
- Other strategies for coping with arthritis include:
- Exercising appropriately
- Protecting your joints
- Getting rest and using medication as recommended by your doctor
- Staying informed about your condition
- Getting support from your family, friends, and arthritis organizations when you need it
This article was reviewed by Melinda Ratini, D.O., M.S.
06/2008
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