Arthritis - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Arthritis is one of the most common medical complaints, affecting 40% of Americans and 50% of the population worldwide. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States. In 1997 medical costs for arthritis in the United States alone exceeded 50 billion dollars. As a physician I have always believed that each patient should have access to learn more about their particular condition, but have felt like this information was not readily available to the general public.

If you feel pain and stiffness in your body or have trouble moving around, you might have arthritis. Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Over time, a swollen joint can become severely damaged. Some kinds of arthritis can also cause problems in your organs, such as your eyes or skin.

Causes

Arthritis have very different causes, risk factors, and effects on the body, yet they often share a common symptom—persistent joint pain. The joint pain of arthritis can appear as hip pain, knee pain, hand pain, or wrist pain, as well as joint pain in other areas of the body. If you have joint pain, stiffness and/or swelling for more than 2 weeks, you may have arthritis. Make an appointment with your doctor.

Symptoms

General symptoms associated with osteoarthritis include soreness, stiffness, or difficulty moving one or more joints after periods of activity or periods of prolonged rest. OA can occur in any joint. When OA is present in the hip joints, the condition may cause pain in the groin, the inner thigh, and the buttock. The person may limp when walking. OA in the knees may produce pain that worsens when walking up and down stairs or when rising from a seated position.

Causes sudden, severe attacks, usually in the big toe, but any joint can be affected. A metabolic disorder in which uric acid builds up in the blood and crystals form in joints and other places. Drugs and attention to diet can control gout. Affects about 1 million Americans (70 to 80 percent men), with first attack starting between 40 and 50 years of age.

Treatment

Treatment options vary depending on the type of arthritis and include physical and occupational therapy, lifestyle changes (including exercise and weight control), medications and dietary supplements (symptomatic or targeted at the disease process causing the arthritis). Arthroplasty (joint replacement surgery) may be required in eroding forms of arthritis. In general, studies have shown that physical exercising of the affected joint can have noticeable improvement in terms of long-term pain relief. Furthermore, exercising of the arthritic joint is encouraged to maintain the health of the particular joint and the overall body of the person.

There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis and the goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms, improve function, slow progression of the disease, and prevent disability. It is important to diagnose RA early and begin aggressive treatment as soon as possible. Patients who have the condition often are treated by a team of physicians and other health care providers, including rheumatologists, nurses, counselors, and physical therapists.