The “People Power” Health Superbook Book 8. Arthritis-Rheumatism Guide

Arthritis, one of the oldest disease known to mankind, is the inflammation of one or more joints. It occurs in all ethnic races at all times of the life-cycle. Decline in joint function generally begins at age 30 if you don't exercise. No one really knows the exact cause of this painful and disabling disease, however, there are three theories: Infection. Body's own defenses go out of line and attack its own tissues. Atrophy of joints due to little use. Experts believe that emotional stress plays a very important role in the cause of arthritis. Arthritis usually begins with a morning stiffness in the joints brought on by a life of hard work and/ or former injuries. Nearly 40 million Americans have some form of arthritis. The general term arthritis includes over 100 kinds of rheumatic diseases most of which last for life. Rheumatic diseases are those affecting joints, muscle and connective tissue which make up or support various structures of the body such as tendons, cartilage, blood vessels and internal organs. Some of the many types of arthritis are: Ankylosing Spondylitis Bursitus Costachondritis Dermatomyositis Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis Felty's Syndrome Infectious Arthritis Juvenile Arthritis Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Osteoarthritis Polymyalgia Rheumatica Polymyositis Psoriatic Arthritis Reactive Arthritis, Seronegative Spondyloarthropathy. Rheumatoid Arthritis Scleroderma Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Tendonitis Vasculitis Arthritis is a spectrum disease related to other inflammation diseases like: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Fibromyalgia Gout Lupus Lyme Disease. Osteoporosis Raynaud's Phenomenon Scleroderma Sjogren's Syndrome Spondylitis. The disease is physical but also exacts a mental, emotional and economic toll and there are many quack cures out there on the market ready to exploit your pain. Arthritis means joint inflammation. In a normal joint, where the two bones meet, the ends are coated with cartilage, a smooth, slippery cushion that protects the bone and reduces friction during movement. A tough capsule lined with synovial membrane seals the joint and produces a lubricating fluid. Ligaments surround and support each joint, connecting the bones and preventing excessive movement. Muscles attach to bone by tendons on each side of a joint. Inflammation can affect any of these tissues. Inflammation is a complex process that causes swelling, redness, warmth and pain. It's the body's natural response to injury and plays an important role in healing and fighting infection. Joint injury can be caused by trauma or by the wear and tear of getting old but in many forms of arthritis, injury is caused by the uncontrolled inflammation of autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. In severe cases, all joint tissues, even bone can be damaged. The most common type of arthritis is Osteoarthritis which afflicts about 16 million Americans. This degenerative joint disease is common in older people but may appear in young people too. It begins when the cartilage breaks down, sometimes eroding entirely to leave a bone-on-bone joint with nothing else there. It may appear in only one or two joints and spread no further. Painful and knobby bone growths in the fingers are common but usually not crippling. The disease is often mild but can be quite severe. The second most common form of arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis which afflicts 3 million Americans. Inflammation begins in the synovial lining and can spread to the entire joint. The disease can severely deform joints. Some people become bed ridden. Others just live with it and seem to get along fine. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can also cause weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle pain and weight loss. Blood tests may reveal anemia and the presence of an antibody called Rheumatoid Factor (RF), however, some people with RF never develop rheumatoid arthritis and some people with the disease never develop RF. Factors relating to Rheumatoid Arthritis are fatigue, shock, injury and exposure to cold and dampness. At times, nodules may show up under the skin, around the elbows, wrists and fingers and occasionally on the ankles. The control of this particular type of arthritis may require the help of a physician, a physical therapist, an orthopedic surgeon and often the physician who specializes in psychosomatic diseases.