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Arthritis is an umbrella term for a range of disorders which affect the joints.
There are innumerable joints in the body and, as arthritis affects joints; most joints are susceptible to this disorder. Arthritis is a painful disease which is characterized by swelling and inflammation of the joint, accompanied by pain which could be minor or debilitating.
More than 100 types of arthritis or arthritic disorders exist. The more familiar ones are:
Osteoarthritis
This usually affects the weight bearing joints like the knees. While obese people may be more susceptible to it, even thin people can get it. It s symptoms include pain and stiffness, lack of mobility – it becomes difficult to get up after sitting down particularly from a low seating area or pain while walking.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatic arthritis is a very painful condition of the joints. There is inflammation, sometimes accompanied by distortion. During a flare-up there may even be fever. It can be extremely debilitating and if not treated aggressively can put the patient in a wheelchair or in bed.
Gout
Gout affects the joints, often the big toe, ankle joints, wrist and the feet. One of the indications of gout is high uric acid levels in the blood. The uric acid forms crystals and these are deposited in the joints, causing a great deal of pain. Gout can be treated by dietary modifications and medicines.
Pseudogout
Pseudogout is similar to gout, but the composition of crystals is different. It may be difficult to diagnose as it may be present along with other types of arthritis. It affects the knee, wrist, and shoulder joints and can only be diagnosed by analyzing the crystals.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia presents with varying symptoms like generalized aches and pains and muscle stiffness. It may cause feelings of extreme tiredness and fatigue. Usually the pain and stiffness is more in the mornings and reduces with movement. It also causes pain in particular spots in the body, which the doctors knows about and can diagnose after taking the medical history.
Lupus
Also called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects the hands, writs and knees when it affects the bones and joints (in rare cases it does not). It can also cause deformity, which is reversible with treatment. Usually kidney function tests which measure creatnine levels (kidney profile) can offer a better diagnosis of this disorder.
Ankylosing spondylitis
This disorder affects the sacroiliac joints (where the spine attaches to the pelvis), spine, and hip joints. It leads to inflammation and stiffness and can even result in fusion on the bones. It is painful and leads to loss of mobility of affected joints.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
The carpal tunnel is located between the wrist and the palm. Tingling in the fingrs and palms, pain and weakness, particularly in the ability to grip objects are signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. It is caused by any repetitive movements which continue for long periods of time. If medicines and pain killers don’t work, surgery is recommended. The surgery usually alleviates all the symptoms and pain and allows for free movement.
These are only a few of the commonest forms of arthritis. While most cases of arthritis are due to the auto-immune factor, there are some which are also caused by injuries, trauma and infection.
