What is Arthritis?

"Arthritis" literally means joint inflammation. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. Arthritis and related diseases can cause debilitating, life-changing pain in different ways. Arthritis can make life tough by causing pain and making it harder to get about. The symptoms of arthritis can vary from week to week, and even from day to day.

What Causes Arthritis?

Arthritis can occur as a result of the following:

• Heredity

• Injuries – notably in athletes & industrial workers, especially if ignored

• Unusual & abnormal metabolisms

• Immune system dysfunction – rheumatoid arthritis & systemic lupus erythematosus

• Bacterial & viral infections – organisms found in infections such as pneumonia & staph

• Bowel disorders –colitis, ileitis & other common bowel disorders (treating these can alleviate arthritis as well).

• Drug use – prescribed & illegal street drugs.

• Defective genes

Types of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis, or “wear and tear” arthritis. It’s the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis causes cartilage — the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint — to break down. Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain, stiffness, tenderness, loss of flexibility, swelling, bone spur, grating sensation.

Gout, a disease that causes uric acid crystals to form in your joints, which form when there's too much uric acid in your blood. Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. It's characterised by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness, lingering discomfort, inflammation, limited range of motion and tenderness in one or more joints, most often in the big toe.

Psoriatic arthritis, is a form of arthritis that causes joint inflammation that develops in people with psoriasis (autoimmune disorder that causes skin irritation). Joint pain, stiffness and swelling, nail changes, eye inflammation are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of the body, including your fingertips and spine, and can range from relatively mild to severe.

Rheumatoid arthritis, is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning to attack synovial membranes, lining of joints. In some people, the condition can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels. symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include tender, warm, swollen joints, joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity, fatigue, fever and loss of appetite.

Septic arthritis is a painful infection in a joint that can come from germs that travel through your bloodstream from another part of your body. Septic arthritis can also occur when a penetrating injury, such as an animal bite or trauma, delivers germs directly into the joint. Septic arthritis typically causes extreme discomfort and difficulty using the affected joint. The joint could be swollen, red and warm, and you might have a fever. 

Thumb arthritis is common with ageing and occurs when cartilage wears away from the ends of the bones that form the joint at the base of your thumb, also known as the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint. Thumb arthritis can cause severe pain, swelling, and decreased strength and range of motion, making it difficult to do simple tasks, such as turning doorknobs and opening jars. 

Spondyloarthritis, or spondyloarthropathy, is an inflammatory arthritis affecting the spine. The main symptom (what you feel) in most patients is low back pain. Low back pain is the most common symptom. Some spondyloarthropathies may affect the hands, feet, arms, or legs. Patients may have pain, fatigue or stiffness that is continuous or comes and goes. 

Other conditions that have similar symptoms to arthritis are:

• Lupus is a autoimmune disease disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems, including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.

• Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping.

• Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a condition that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation in the muscles around the shoulders, neck and hips. 

• Tendinopathy is usually a type of overuse injury, where the tendon is repeatedly strained until tiny tears form. It commonly affects the shoulder, wrist, knee, shin and heel. Most cases of tendinopathy will settle naturally.