Types of Arthritis

As I mentioned in my earlier article, there are various types of arthritis, and I’ll just mention a few of them here, together with their characteristics. Whichever one that you suffer from, I’m quite sure that you have tried various methods over the years, be it creams, pills, diets, acupuncture or something else—anything that you think will give pain relief.

 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with autoimmune diseases have antibodies in their blood that target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease. While rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness, meaning it can last for years, patients may experience long periods without symptoms. Typically, however, rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive illness that has the potential to cause joint destruction and functional disability.

Osteoarthritis can be seen in 2 distinct forms—primary and secondary. The more common form, primary osteoarthritis, is a slow and progressive condition that usually occurs after the mid-forties, affecting the weight bearing joints of the hips and knees, and maybe the lower back, neck, fingers as well. It can develop in 2 ways—when excessive loads are placed on normal joint tissues, or when an ordinary load is placed on inferior joint tissues. The exact causes have not really been proven, although obesity and family history are high on the risk factor list. Secondary osteoarthritis is different, as it usually appears before the age of forty, and has clear causes—maybe injury or trauma. A loose knee, joint infection, joint surgery, or metabolic imbalances like gout or calcium deposits. It can also occur due to heavy use of certain medications.

The third type that most of us have probably heard about is psoriatic arthritis. This is a rheumatoid like disease, linked to psoriasis of the skin or nails. Although it’s sometimes confused with psoriasis, there is a big difference between the two. Quite often, psoriatic arthritis is found where the nails or skin are affected as a spin-off from arthritic joints. Although it seems that it is like rheumatoid arthritis in many ways, it is less difficult to discover where the problems arise from, and what kind of treatment is needed.

Gout is a very painful disease which often attacks small joints, especially those in the toes. I always used to associate it with people who consumed rich food and wines, as I used to read and see that kind of thing in older books and films. Nowadays, as far as I can see, it is prevalent again, as many more folk live affluent lifestyles, and can afford food and drink which is altogether too rich for the good of their health. It’s caused by the uric levels being too high, and the blood cannot then contain the solution. Uric acid then starts a crystallisation process, and the white blood cells, whose job it is to remove the foreign matter, attack those crystals. The crystals will be covered by white blood cells which attempt to break them down chemically, and digest them. This is impossible, as the sharp crystals actually rupture the cells, releasing destructive liquids, which destroy the cell itself, along with surrounding cells. The fluids released from the white cells then attack the bone joints, causing the gouty arthritis and swelling. As I mentioned before, the attacks can cause severe pain, and usually occur in the joints of the big toe.

Before I start actually writing some material on arthritis pain relief, and various methods that have helped others, I’ll mention bursitis as well. A small pad of tissue which protects a tendon as it passes over a bony area is called a bursar, and bursitis is the term used for the condition when this becomes inflamed. If the tendons are damaged, massive problems can result in tissues around the joints. Usually, cases of bursitis are in the shoulder, but it can affect other parts as well—the knee, the heel, the back of the elbow, the hip, and the first joint of the big toe.It’s generally thought that the cause can range from infection, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, or gout, and acute bursitis is capable of causing severe pain, tenderness, and limitation of movement.

There are many things that can be done to help ease the discomfort, and bring about some relief from arthritis pain. In my next post, I hope to discuss some some ways of making your environment more comfortable.