What Is Arthritis?What is arthritis? It is a painful, debilitating condition affecting the musculoskeletal system, most commonly joints. There are two types of arthritis: osteo arthritis and rheumatoid arhtritis. • Osteo arthritis also called degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease is the most common form of arthritis. It is a condition where there is a breakdown of joint cartilage. It can affect any joint in the body - fingers, hips, knees, lower back and feet. It is more prevalent in men before age 45, but after age 55 it's more frequent in women. Physical indications of osteoarthritis include: joint pain, swellling and warmth, pain on the weight-bearing joints, pain after repetitive use, stiffness after long period of inactivity. Causes of osteo arthritis are divided into primary, which has unknown cause but is believed to be related to aging, inflammation and heredity, and the secondary, which is known: obesity, trauma, surgery to the joint structures, congenital abnormalities, gout, diabetes and hormone disorders.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease where there is an inflammation of the synovial tissues that line the joints, surrounding ligaments, muscles and tendons with the resulting swelling, stiffness and pain. It is believed to be caused by autoimmune disorder, with the body's immune system attacking its own cells. Rhuematoid arthritis' characteristic feature is its symmetry - it affects small fingers of the hands and feet on both sides. More on causes of arthritis from Chinese medicine perspective here.
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