Arthritis
Arthritis means "joint inflammation," and it's used to describe different diseases and conditions that affect joints, the tissues that surround joints, and other connective tissue.
Most common forms of arthritis are
Osteoarthritis
Ø Osteoarthritis pain, stiffness, or inflammation most frequently appears in the hips, knees, and hands.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
Ø Rheumatoid arthritis commonly affects the hands and wrists but can also affect areas of the body other than the joints.
Even though they have these differences, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis often share common symptoms:
- Joint pain
- Stiffness
- Inflammation or swelling
Osteoarthritis (OA)-Details
Often called "wear and tear" arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, In most cases, over time, cartilage in joints breaks down, and OA symptoms begin to occur. OA is most commonly found in the:
- Knees
- Hips
- Hands and fingers
- Spine
Wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles can also be affected by OA, but this occurs less frequently. When OA is found in these joints, there may have been a history of injury or stress to that joint.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
Typically, OA comes on slowly. For many, the first signs are joints that ache after physical work or exercise. As the disease progresses, other most common symptoms include:
- Pain in a joint
- Swelling or tenderness in one or more joints
- Stiffness after periods of inactivity, such as sleeping or sitting
- Flare-ups of pain and inflammation after use of the affected joint
- Crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone (called crepitus) when the joint is used
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it's important to talk to your doctor to find out if you have OA.
Causes of osteoarthritis
While the exact cause of OA is unknown, joint damage can be due to repetitive movement (also known as "wear and tear"). It can also begin as the result of an injury. Either way, with OA there's erosion of the cartilage, the part of the joint that covers the ends of the bones.
- Cartilage acts as a shock absorber, allowing the joint to move smoothly.
- As cartilage breaks down, the ends of the bones thicken and the joint may lose its normal shape.
- With further cartilage breakdown, the ends of the bones may begin to rub together, causing pain.
- In addition, damaged joint tissue can cause the release of certain substances called prostaglandins, which can also contribute to the pain and swelling characteristic of the disease.
Here are some factors that may increase your risk of developing OA:
Age
Ø Age is the strongest risk factor for OA. Although OA can start in young adulthood, in these cases, it is often due to joint injury.
Gender
Ø OA affects both men and women. However, before age 45, OA occurs more frequently in men; after age 45, OA is more common in women.
Joint injury or overuse caused by physical labor or sports
Ø Traumatic injury to a joint increases your risk of developing OA in that joint. Joints that are used repeatedly in certain jobs may be more likely to develop OA because of injury or overuse.
Obesity
Ø The chances of getting OA generally increase with the amount of weight the body’s joints have to bear. The knee is particularly affected because it is a major weight-bearing joint.
Joint Alignment
Ø People with joints that don’t move or fit together correctly, like bowlegs, dislocated hips, or double-jointedness, are more likely to develop OA in those joints.
Heredity
Ø An inherited defect in one of the genes responsible for manufacturing cartilage may be a contributing factor in developing OA.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-Details
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system attacks normal joint tissues, causing inflammation of the joint lining.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Although RA is often a chronic disease, the severity and duration of symptoms may unpredictably come and go. With RA, people experience periods of increased disease activity, calledflare-ups or flares, alternating with periods when the symptoms fade or disappear, called remission.
If you experience some of these symptoms, you may want to consult with your doctor:
- Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 1 hour in the morning or after a long rest
- Joint inflammation in the joints closest to the hand, such as wrist and fingers, although the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, and feet can also be affected
- Symmetrical pattern of inflammation, meaning both sides of the body are usually affected at the same time
- Fatigue, an occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well (called malaise)
- As RA progresses, about 25% of people with the disease develop small lumps of tissue under the skin, calledrheumatoid nodules, which can vary in size. Usually, they are not painful.
Causes rheumatoid arthritis
The exact causes of RA are unknown. But research has shown that several factors may contribute to the development of RA:
- Genetic. Certain genes play a role in the immune system — for some people, genetic factors may be involved in determining whether they will develop RA.
- Environmental. In people who have inherited a genetic tendency for the disease, RA can be triggered by an infection. However, RA is not contagious — you can't "catch it" from anyone.
Treatment
It's important to understand that although there is no way to reverse the cartilage loss of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, there are treatment options available to help you relieve the symptoms. These can include:
- Medications
- Exercise
- Diet
- Alternative therapies
In homoeopathic method of treatment we have good effective medicines for these complaint, Homoeopathic medicines have no side effects. Long course of treatment is helpful to reduce these problems
For treatment please contact us
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