fattyprejudice

When you think of arthritis, what comes to your mind?  Bad knees, misshappen fingers?  You might be surprised to find out that there are actually many more types of arthritis, many of which  you have heard of, but probably never knew was a form of arthritis, I know I didn’t.  For the sake of time, I will only get into detail about the two most commonly known, but I will provide links where you can look up definitions the the others listed at the end of this article.

The most common forms is Osteoarthritis which is Arthritis of the boney joints, and Rheumatoid Arthritis which is actually a systemic iflammatory disorder, which we will get into in a moment.

Osteoarthritis , aka  Degenerative Joint Disease, is the most commonly known form or arthritis. It is classified as a group of diseases and mechanical abnormalities entailing degradation of joints, including cartilage and the bone next to it.  Symptoms of OA may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, inflammation, and creaking of joints. Osteoarthritis is caused by a number of possibilities including heredity, developmental, metabolic, and mechanical issues which may lead to loss of cartilage, which is a sort of cushion between the joints.  As the body tries to contain and repair the damage, it actually causes the disease to increase the problems associated with the disease, which in turn causes the patient to experience increased pain upon doing every day activities including walking and standing. Due to decreased movement because of the pain, regional muscles may atrophy, and ligaments may become more lax. Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of chronic disability in the United States.  You can read more at Wikipedia.com.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a bit more complex and  I have first hand experience with this one.  Most people think it is the same as Osteoarthritis, but it is vastly different. I think of it more as a blood disorder, but here is how Wikipedia defines it:

“Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks the joints producing a inflammatory synovitis that often progresses to destruction of the articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also produce diffuse inflammation in the lungs, pericardium, pleura, and sclera, and also nodular lesions, most common in subcutaneous tissue under the skin. Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, autoimmunity plays a pivotal role in its chronicity and progression.

About 1% of the world’s population is afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis, women three times more often than men. Onset is most frequent in 40 to 50 years, but no age is immune. It can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility. It is diagnosed chiefly on symptoms and signs, but also with blood tests (especially a test called rheumatoid factor) and X-rays. Diagnosis and long-term management are typically performed by a rheumatologist, an expert in the diseases of joints and connective tissues.^[1]

Various treatments are available. Non-pharmacological treatment includes physical therapy and occupational therapy. Analgesia (painkillers) and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as steroids, are used to suppress the symptoms, while disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are often required to inhibit or halt the underlying immune process and prevent long-term damage. In recent times, the newer group of biologics has increased treatment options.“

I have listed other types of Arthritis below, simply because I believe people must be informed of these sometimes life threatening diseases and disorders.  I have friends with Psoriasis (not always associated with arthritis), who suffer more from the social aspect of it than the pain.  People need to be more aware of their reactions to physical disorders that are so obviously visiable, and to know that these are NOT contagious and you will not “catch” it just by looking at it or by coming into contact with it.  I hope this has been helpful to you.

• Septic arthritis

• Gout and pseudogout
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Still’s disease
• Ankylosing spondylitis

Secondary to other diseases:  (diseases that can include some of the above listed Arthritis’)

• Lupus erythematosus
• Henoch-Schönlein purpura
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Reactive arthritis
• Haemochromatosis
• Hepatitis
• Wegener’s granulomatosis (and many other vasculitis syndromes)
• Lyme disease
• Familial Mediterranean fever
• Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D with recurrent fever
• TNF receptor associated periodic syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)

Diseases that can mimic arthritis include:

• Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy
• Multiple myeloma
• Osteoporosis
• Fifth disease (parvovirus infection)

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