Arthritis is a condition of painful inflammation in the joints and can become debilitating, literally crippling to the individual suffering from its’ effects. To the unknowing, it is difficult to explain the level of pain and suffering one often must endure when affected with this ailment.
Arthritis is indiscriminate in its victims as it knows no age boundaries, it can affect young and old alike. Arthritis is the term applied to this condition but in actuality it comes in several forms.
There are actually over 100 types of arthritis known, and currently over 46 million adults and 300,000 children are affected in the U.S. by one form of arthritis or another, this number is expected to climb to over 67 million adults by the year 2030.
With so many different types of arthritis and only one vague term for the ailment, this has led to the unfortunate effect of one “cure all” type of treatment for it that more often than not does little or nothing to help.
With so many different types of arthritis it is impossible to mention all of them here much less discuss them at any length, so we will have a brief overview of the five most common types.
Osteoarthritis: this type of arthritis affects more than 27 million adults in the U.S., making it the most common. Osteoarthritis is a condition of deterioration of the cartilage (the softer tissue on the ends of the bone that cushions the joints) which can often lead to the joints literally grinding bone against bone, a very painful condition.
Fibromyalgia: the second most common form of arthritis in the U.S., this form affects more than 5 million adults. Fibromyalgia causes the affected to experience fatigue and suffer constant muscle pain. It also causes the person to have so called “tender points” on their body, specifically on and around the neck, shoulders and back, as well as the hips, arms and legs. These tender points are areas that when touched will cause severe pain.
Gout: gout affects over three million adults in the U.S.; gout is caused by an excessive amount of uric acid in the body which leads to the development of hard, crystal-like deposits in the joint, especially in the feet. The affected areas are red and swollen and very sore and painful to the sufferer.
Rheumatoid arthritis: affecting i.3 million Americans, rheumatoid arthritis is the fourth most common form of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused when the immune system in effect “turns against” parts of the body rather than protecting them. The effects of this type of arthritis are stiffness, swelling, pain, and loss of mobility of the joints.
Lupus: the fifth most common form of arthritis is Lupus; it affects more than a quarter million Americans, Lupus occurs when the body”s immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. Lupus can damage the joints, skin, blood vessels, lungs, kidneys, heart and brain.
Treatment for arthritis usually include NSAID”s, (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), hot and cold compresses, and pain medication. There is no known cure.
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