The skeleton is a jointed framework that supports the body and enables it to perform a fantastic range of movements, these are in turn controlled by muscles, tendons, and ligaments attached to the bones. A joint is the point where bones meet and move against each other. The human body comprises more than 200 joints.

Arthritis may develop in any one, or more, of these joints. This common condition id defined as pain, stiffness, or swelling in or around a joint that persists for more than two weeks. Given that there are over 100 types of arthritis, it is easy to see why arthritis plagues so many people.

WHAT IS ARTHRITIS?

The word arthritis means “inflamed joint” in greek. However, the term does not exclusively refer to the inflammation of a joint. Arthritis may also indicate a joint that is injured, strained, infected, damaged, or worn down.

When any joint in your body is affected by arthritis, you experience considerable discomfort and pain as a result of the nerves in the joint sending pain messages to the brain. Movement becomes difficult as the smooth functioning of the joint starts to breake down.

In osteoarthritis, the cartilage (the fibrous tissue covering the ends of the bones) become thin and flaky and begins to split. The bone underneath thickens and starts to project at the edges of the joint, reducing the degree of movement. Fluid in the joint increases, leading to swelling, stiffness, and pain. The capsule encasing the joint is stretched. In severe osteoarthritis the cartilage may wear away completely, exposing the bone. Chalky deposits of crystals may form in the bone and can break off and float around in the fluid. The joint may become permanently damaged.

In rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation start in the membrane surrounding the joint, which then thickens and begins to occupy the space within the joint. The inflammation spreads to the rest of the joint capsule, and the ligaments and tedons that surround and support the joint become stretched, so the joint itself may become unstable. If the inflammation remains unchecked, the cartilage  in the joint will shrink and the exposed ends of the bone will erode. This can result in painful, swollen joints.

The joints of the body vary widely in their structure. Some, like the hip and shoulder, allow movement in all directions. Others, such as the elbow, move only backward and forward. In the spine  the vertebrae have even less independent movement, and they are jointed without a capsule or any lubricating fluid. This presents the disk of cushioning cartilage between them with an even more crucial role to play: this is why back pain is the most widespread and intractable form of joint pain that troubles human beings.

General Causes Of Arthritis

Degenerative:
Joints, just like the moving parts of any peice of equipment, wear out and performs less reliably with heavy use and with the passage of time. The joints of the human body simply wear out. Degenerative types of arthritis include osteoarthritis, the most common form. You may get arthritis as you become older because your cartilage is the type that becomes thin and flaky with age, or because you have exposed your joints to heavy use, perhaps on the sports field. Or, you may have imposed undue strain on them by loading them with to much body weight. Another possibility is that one of your hip joints has been subjected to excessive wear because one of your legs is longer than the other, which is not uncommon.

Autoimmune Disorders:
In inflammatory types of arthritis, of which the most common is rheumatoid arthritis, the cause of the inflammation is often unknown. It is possible that the inflammation is sparked off by a virus. This may trigger the bodies own defense mechanisms to turn on themselves and perpetuate the inflammation even in the absence of any harmful agent. Thus, rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disorder.

Metabolic:
When a joint becomes inflamed because the body fails to flush away harmful crystals of uric acid that forms inside the joint, the result is gout, a painful type of metabolic arthritis.

Other Types of Arthritis:
Some types of arthritis can also be caused by bacterial or viral infection.

Bookmark to: