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.

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Food allergies, or what some allergists may categorize as food sensitivities, may be a culprit in joint pain, especially with rheumatoid arthritis. In the journal of the american medical association, Charles Lucas, M.D., and Lawrence Power, M.D., of the Detroit medical center, state that arthritis is multifactorial, but they have linked the role of food allergies with rheumatoid arthritis in their studies.

And Jonathon Wright, M.D., contends that osteoarthritis has a relationship with allergies, particularly with the nightshade family (potatoes, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes) of foods. Solanine, a naturally occurring toxin in the nightshade foods, may be the contrbuting factor in some sensitive individuals. In solanine sensitive individuals, solanine penetrates the immune barrier and is toxic. The nightshade foods are a source of a saponic irritant chemical that can cause red blood cell destruction. Whether or not your arthritis may be aggravated by allergies is certainly worth investigating with the help of your health professional. Theron Randolf, M.D., considered the pioneer in enviromental medicine, believes in the link between arthritis and allergies, and has worked with numerous arthritis patients by helping them detect and eliminate allergens from their diets. But why do foods aggravate arthritis?

One reason why foods may cause inflammation is that incomplete digestion of proteins in foods allow large molecules of protein parts to pass from the bowel through the intestinal wall into the blood stream. When these large molecules, which are peptides and amino acids, are in the blood stream, the body may react to them as if they were foreign invaders and create antibody reactions– immune reactions. This is now referred to as leaky gut syndrome or intestinal permeability. This condition allows inflammatory blood cells to migrate into arthritic joints and inflammation results.

Detection and elimination of foods that may be creating allergic arthritic reactions can be difficult, so work with a health professional experienced in this area.

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Osteoarthritis:

The most frequently encountered form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, reportedly afflicts about 16 million Americans. Osteoarthritis is more common in men in the age groups below 45 years, but tends to be more common in women in later years. Osteoarthritis involves degeneration of the cartilage ot the hands, feet, knees, and hips. The lumbar (lower back) and cervical (neck) areas of the spine can also be affected by osteoarthritis. Trauma and congenital problems can cause early affliction with osteoarthritis, but it is usually thought of as a disease of wear and tear on the joints.

Although the word arthritis means joint inflammation, osteoarthritis is not considered an inflammatory disease. In osteoarthritis, the joints undergo degenerative changes when the cartilage soften and erodes, causing subsequent enlargement of the affected joints. Wear and tear on the joints damages the cartilage in the joint and with damage, the cartilage releases enzymes which further deteriorate the cartilage matrix. Eventually, the cartilage thins, loses its elasticity and frays, leaving the bone without its protective cushion. Bone may then rub against bone and spurs develop.

The usual symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain and stiffness, especially in the morning and in cold weather. The joints may be swollen and deformed with bone overgrowth. Proper diagnosis is made with x-rays and a complete history of symptoms.

Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common form of arthritis, affecting about 2 million Americans. It is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disorder and is usually considered an auto-immune disease where the whole body attacks its own tissue.

Rheumatoid arthritis usually starts with inflammation of the synovial membrane which produces the lubricant for the joints. Fluids can accumulate in the joint area as the synovial membrane becomes inflamed. Increased inflammation of the synovium eventually can destroy cartilage, ligaments and bone.

Early symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis include fatigue and weakness, generalized aches and pains, numbness and tingling in hands and feet. Swelling of the hands and feet, as well as a fever, rash and anemia can occur. In extreme cases, Rheumatoid arthritis can affect the heart, lungs, nerve tissue, eyes and skin.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be one of the most painful and crippling of all forms of arthritis, and the cause or causes are not yet known. Proper diagnosis by a physician may include blood chemistries, a complete history and exam and x-rays.

Other Members Of The Arthritis Family:

There are more than 100 forms of arthritis, and the common symptoms in most types of arthritis are stiffness and pain around or in the joints of the body.

Gouty arthritis is characterized by elevated blood uric acid and swelling of the joints, particularly of the large toe, due to uric acis crystals accumulating in the tissues. Gout causes acute pain and swelling and affects one million Americans.

Medical experts may also classify chronic lyme arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyalgia, scleroderma, ankylosis spondylitis, and inflammatory bowel disease as members of the arthritis family. However, we limit ourselves to focus on osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis and, to some degree, gouty arthritis.

It is important to note that joint pain can also be due to bursitis and/or tendonitis, which are not actually forms of arthritis. Your physician will have different recommendations for physical therapy, exercise and treatment for each condition; therefore proper diagnosis is essential.

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