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Arthritis is a condition that affects the musculoskeletal system including the joints, causing stiffness, inflammation, pain and eventually damage to the joint cartilage. Cartilage between the bones is what makes sure that there is no pain thanks to the bones coming into contact with each other in our joints. Cartilage as a living tissue behaves very much like other organs and glands and these cells are termed as Chondrocytes. Normally, all of the chondrocytes will die out and be replaced by the new cartilage cells. Gout and arthritis are very closely related; however Gout can be much more painful and difficult to live with.

However, over time inflammation can kill more cartilage cells than the body can replace. The body fails to generate new cells when there is lack of proper nutrients or if there has been an injury. Damage from this condition can also cause joint weakness, instability and deformities and interrupt daily activities. The traditional treatment to arthritis demands change of one’s lifestyle besides physical therapy and medication. Health care providers use joint replacement surgery as their last resort, once they have tried all of the less intrusive interventions to try and relieve the discomfort.

Arthritis is divided into two main categories, i.e. localized and generalized depending on areas affected; it is further subdivided into sub-categories. Localized arthritis affects the cartilage surrounding the joints and bones and includes conditions like bursitis and tendonitis. Another sub-category of the localized conditions only affects one or only a few joints, such as a knee or hip. Generalized conditions involve a sub category where there is no swelling or inflammation but the muscle and soft tissue are affected. A common type in arthritis is Fibromyalgia and this is categorized in the main category which does not cause joint damage.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an example of a condition under this category, as well as gout, and psoriatic arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis, gout and psortiatis arthritis are examples of the next conditions in this subcategory. Vasculities (affects all the organs), polymyositis (affects muscles) and erythematosus (affects kidney, skin and other organs) are the other conditions that belong to the generalized category.

There are about a 100 medical conditions that have affected about 46 million adults and 300,000 children in the US; a person can have more than one type of arthritis. This condition can start as early as infancy, while it is most common among adults over 60, primarily in the form of osteoarthritis. The number of people suffering out of this condition is increasing proportionally with the increasing average age of the American population; with old age setting in people suffering with arthritis is increasing day by day.

124 billion dollars a year are spent annually on medical care and other expenses connected to arthritis and related infirmities, making it a foremost cause for disability. Individuals can help prevent osteoarthritis by following a few simple steps: Maintaining appropriate weight and consuming fresh fruits and vegetables as a good source of vitamins c and d. By taking the time to make sure that you are consuming enough calcium, participate in regular exercise and avoiding injuries that are brought about due to sports activities, you can also help with prevention of this condition.

All arthritis conditions affect the musculoskeletal system and joints which causes pain, stiffness, inflammation, and damage to the joint cartilage. Cartilage between the bones is what makes sure that there is no pain thanks to the bones coming into contact with each other in our joints. Therefore, because of this, cartilage has the exact same needs as the other glands and organs; cartilage cells are referred to as Chondrocytes. All chondrocytes will die and are usually replaced by new cartilage cells.

Over time, inflammation might kill more cartilage cells which make replacement difficult to keep up with. Cartilage cells are not sufficiently regenerated when there is injury or insufficient nutrition for regenerating new cells. The condition causes damage where instability, deformities and joint weakness can obstruct daily life. Typically, arthritis is treated with medication, physical therapy, and changes to the person’s lifestyle. The last option left for the physicians to relieve the patients from discomfort is joint replacement surgery.

Arthritis has two main categories which is based on the areas of the body affected, ‘localized’ or ‘generalized’; this is further divided in to sub categories. Localized arthritis affects the cartilage surrounding the joints and bones and includes conditions like bursitis and tendonitis. One of the other sub-categories of localized conditions is known to affect maybe one or two joints, like the hip or knee. A generalized condition is a condition where the muscles and the soft tissues get damaged, in this condition there is no swelling or any kind of inflammation on the joints. This condition does not indicate joint damage.

The next condition in the second sub category causes inflammation which affects the whole body. Rheumatoid arthritis, gout and psortiatis arthritis are examples of the next conditions in this subcategory. Erythematosus or involvement of skin, kidney and other organs, vasculitis or any organ and polymyositis involving the muscles are other generalized conditions.

It is not uncommon for people to have more than one form of arthritis; there are almost 100 medical conditions which affects approximately 300,000 children and 46 million adults in the United States. This condition can start as early as infancy, while it is most common among adults over 60, primarily in the form of osteoarthritis. The numbers are increasing as the American population ages and more and more people are beginning to suffer from arthritis.

Medical care and indirect expenses costs over 124 billion dollars in the US where arthritis and related problems are the main cause of disability. Osteoarthritis can be prevented by taking a few precautionary measures; these include, maintaining suitable or appropriate body weight, and consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are good sources for the vitamins C and D. By taking the time to make sure that you are consuming enough calcium, participate in regular exercise and avoiding injuries that are brought about due to sports activities, you can also help with prevention of this condition.