Living With Arthritis Pain
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Joints in any part of the body can be affected as arthritis means ‘joint inflammation’. A joint is where two or more bones come together such as the knee, shoulder or wrist.
Arthritis pain treatment and arthritis pain management
Healthy joints are covered with a sponge-like material known as cartilage. The joint itself is enclosed in synovium, a sturdy sheath that produces synovial fluid that assists the cartilage in limiting friction between the bones.
A joint that is affected by arthritis will become inflamed which causes symptoms that range from mild pain, swelling, redness, heat, stiffness, and severe joint pain that may make it difficult to move.
There are over 100 diseases associated with joint inflammation and they are all grouped together under the general term Arthritis.
The three most common kinds of arthritis include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout.
Arthritis is one of the most common diseases in the United States and affects at least 80 million Americans, half of whom are age 65 and older.
Arthritis is often a chronic disease, meaning it can affect the person afflicted over a long period of time.
The symptoms presented by arthritis can be treated with pain products and other remedies even though arthritis itself cannot be cured.
Types of Arthritis
Although there are more than 100 different diseases associated with the term arthritis, the three most common are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout.
Osteoarthritis:
The most common type of Arthritis is osteoarthritis. The cartilage which is the tissue that covers the ends of the bones within a joint to create a cushion between the bones is mostly affected.
Over time, or because of disease, the cartilage may begin to wear out or decay; in some extreme cases, all the cartilage can be worn out leaving nothing to keep the bones within the joint from rubbing against each other.
This friction often leads to pain and swelling, and in some cases disability. Although osteoarthritis can occur in any joint, it most often affects the large weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, and feet, as well as the hands, low back (spinal facet joints) and neck.
Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that not only affects joints in any part of the body, but may also attack tissue in the skin, lungs, eyes, and blood vessels.
The swelling in the joint lining is because of the attacks on the body’s joints by the person’s immune system, which is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis which is classified as an autoimmune disease.
Feverishness and tiredness are also feelings that accompany the general symptoms associated with arthritis, such as swelling, stiffness, loss of joint function and pain in the joints, in the cases of rheumatoid arthritis.
If the right knee is affected, the left knee will also get affected, because rheumatoid arthritis affects the person in a symmetrical pattern.
Gout:
Sudden appearance of reddish joints that are warm to the touch, accompanied by swelling stiffness and intense pain signal the onset of gout, one of the most painful rheumatic conditions.
When uric acid, a naturally occurring substance cannot be eliminated by the human body, Gout is the result. In the connective tissue of the joint, there is a build up of uric acid in the form of needle like crystals, before the actual attack itself.
The joint gets inflamed because of these deposits. Gout is often triggered by stressful events, alcohol or drugs, or the presence of another illness, and frequently affects joints in the lower part of the body including knees, heels, ankles, or toes.
For more information on how to get relief from arthritis pain please visit www.arthritispainreliefinfo.net
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