Arthritis is a condition that affects the musculoskeletal system including the joints, causing stiffness, inflammation, pain and eventually damage to the joint cartilage. The joints are protected by tissue called cartilage which ensures the ends of bones don't rub against one another. They are like the glands in our body and the cells they are made of are called chondrocytes. All chondrocytes have a life cycle and when they die, new ones are made to take their place.
When there is long time inflammation, cartilage cells are destroyed and die faster than the body's ability to replace them. This is especially true if there has been an injury or there is not enough proper nutrients in the body to repair the joint. The condition causes damage where instability, deformities and joint weakness can obstruct daily life. Arthritis is normally treated with physical therapy, medication and includes changes to the person's way of life or lifestyle. If an arthritis patient does not get any relief from medication and other forms of therapies then the last option they can resort to is joint replacement.
Arthritis is mainly categorized into two types, 'localized' and 'generalized' depending on which areas are affected (body or the joints). They are then sub categorized. Localized conditions are bursitis and tendonitis and they affect the soft tissues surrounding the bones and joints. A sub-category of localized arthritis affects one or some of the joints like hip or knee joints. It could also be that the patient is affected in a more general sense with no inflammation or signs of swelling. In this condition there is no evident kind of damage caused to the joints and is known as Fibromyalgia. This kind of arthritis is widespread among people.
The second sub category is one where there is inflammation and the whole body is affected. Under this category, rheumatoid arthritis would be an example of a condition you would see, along with psoriatic arthritis and gout. Other generalized conditions are polymyositis (muscles); systemic lupus erythematosus (skin, kidneys, or other organs); and vasculitis (any organ).
An individual is capable of having more than just one arthritis type and it includes over one hundred different medical conditions that are known to affect roughly forty six million adults and three hundred thousand children within the United States. The condition is most common as osteoarthritis in adults age 60 and above but it can start as early as infancy. The number of people suffering out of this condition is increasing proportionally with the increasing average age of the American population. With old age setting in people suffering with arthritis is increasing day by day.
The prime cause of disability in the United States of America is caused because of arthritis; the American population spends over one hundred and twenty four billion dollars on medical care and other related expenses for treating arthritis. Individuals can help prevent osteoarthritis by following a few simple steps: Maintaining appropriate weight and consuming fresh fruits and vegetables as a good source of vitamins c and d. There should also be sufficient calcium intake, 1000-1500mg per day for adults. In addition regular, moderate exercise can help preventing sports injuries that can aggravate a condition.
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