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Arthritis |
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Contrary to popular belief, arthritis is not just one disease. It is
actually a complex disorder, comprising more than a hundred different
conditions. It can affect any person at any stage of his life, whether he is
generally healthy or suffering from some other form of degenerative
disorder.
The most common forms of this disorder are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid
arthritis, each having very different causes, risk factors, and effects on
the body, but the same common symptom: persistent pain in the joints.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative arthritis, is a condition where pain
occurs in the joints due to low grade inflammation. The cause is normally
attributed to the wearing and tearing of the cartilage (hence it’s more
colloquial name “wear and tear”). The cartilage is that piece of tissue that
covers and acts as a cushion inside joints. As the cartilage wears down, the
bone surfaces between joints become less well protected, resulting in pain
on the patient, particularly upon weight bearing, such as walking and
standing.
To avoid the pain, a patient may decrease his movements. However, this (the
decreased movements) may indirectly result in certain conditions of the
regional muscles, such as atrophy and lax ligaments.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly 21
million people in the United States. That accounts for 25% of visits to
primary care physicians and half of an NSAID, or Non Steroidal Anti
Inflammatory Drugs, prescriptions.
A Green 2001 health report has revealed that an estimated 80% of the
population will have shown signs of osteoarthritis by age 65, evidenced by
radiographic test. However, the same report said that only 60% will be
symptomatic.
Because the primary problem with osteoarthritis is the degeneration of the
cartilage, which cannot ever grow back, there is unfortunately no cure for
the condition. Treatment consists of NSAIDs, local glucocorticoid
injections, and in severe cases, with joint replacement surgery. The goal is
not to cure the disorder, which is irreversible, but to reduce the joint
pain, and in that regard, science has no shortage.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
The other form of arthritis, less common than OA, is rheumatoid arthritis or
RA. It is a chronic, inflammatory auto immune disorder where the body’s own
immune system attacks the joints. Because of pain and joint destruction as a
result of this condition, rheumatoid arthritis can lead to substantial loss
of mobility as well as affect many extra articular tissues of the body, such
as the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and muscles.
The treatment approach for this form of arthritis is different from OA. In
osteoarthritis, the goal is to reduce the pain, in rheumatoid arthritis,
there is actually a treatment that could halt disease progression.
There are two approaches: one is the disease modifying antirheumatic drugs
or DMARDs, and anti inflammatory agents and analgesics. The former is
responsible for producing durable remissions and delay or even halting the
disease from progressing. The latter only treats the pain resulting from the
disorder.
To determine what form of arthritis a patient suffers, X rays and blood
tests are often performed on the affected joints. The type can be
distinguished by the pace of the onset, the age and sex of the patient, the
amount of joints affected, and additional symptoms like psoriasis,
iridocyclitis, rheumatoid nodules, and Raynaud’s phenomenon – all of which
can be shown through blood testing and X ray. |
| This article
is provided courtesy of Roxanne Courtmanch. Please visit
www.thehelpingcircle.com for more articles on arthritis
as well as many other topics that may be of interest to you.
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