Arthritis, a very commonplace disability especially in the aged, comes from Greek words meaning inflammation of the joints. There are over 100 different varieties of arthritis, but all of them involve some degradation of the natural bodily components found around the joints, or the areas where two bones fit together.

In a properly functioning joint, there is a layer of cartilage that surrounds and cushions the ends of the bone to prevent friction and grinding that would result from bone on bone contact. There is also a layer of tissue called a synovium that produces a lubricating fluid to keep the joint well-oiled so to speak, and operating smoothly. In addition, there are ligaments, tendons and muscles in a joint that actually connect the bones to one another and enable them to be moved around without too much discomfort.

The most frequent cause of arthritis is normal day to day wear and tear on the cartilage, eventually reaching a point where they fail to do their job of cushioning the ends of the bones. This is called osteoarthritis, and occurs most often in weight bearing joints of the knee, hip, and spine. The more these joints are used every day, the more accelerated the loss of cartilage will gradually become over time. Once this ‘buffer zone’ of cartilage is no longer present, the bones can grind directly against one another, causing all sorts of pain as they can chip, splinter, becoming embedded in tissue, etc.. Of course a serious trauma to the affected area, such as from a sports or work related injury, can hasten the degeneration of cartilage much more than the effects of aging.

The other major type of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, is caused by inflammation of the joint, causing it to swell or become stiff. This can be a complication associated with various other diseases that attend upon joint inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is an extremely debilitating kind of arthritis that involves the lining surrounding the joint becoming enflamed and swelling to the point that it invades or presses against other tissues, and certain substances being released thereby that attack rather than protect and lubricate the joint’s other component parts.

Treatment of arthritis begins with diagnostic tests such as blood tests, to determine the specific sort of arthritis present, as well x rays to inspect the degree of damage present. Once this is done, treatment can take several forms, depending on the severity of the condition. It can be treated with physical therapy, heat or cold treatments, drugs that reduce inflammation, or drugs that mimic the action of natural joint lubricants. In the most extreme cases, the patient may have to undergo surgery to remove the damaged joint, partially or entirely, and replace it with a prosthetic one.

There are also many other conditions such as gout and pseudo-gout that, because of the debilitating nature of their action on the joint components, are technically classed as varieties of arthritis.

However, despite all the recent advances in researching and understanding different types of arthritis, their underlying causes, and pain relief and management, there is still as yet no actual cure for most types of arthritis.

www.OSC-Ortho.com is the leading East Coast orthopedic practice serving Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. Visit us at our website to learn more about how we can help you.

http://www.OSC-Ortho.com is the leading East Coast orthopedic practice serving Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. Visit us at ourwebsite to learn more about how we can help you.

Author Bio: www.OSC-Ortho.com is the leading East Coast orthopedic practice serving Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. Visit us at our website to learn more about how we can help you.

Category: Aging
Keywords: Medicine, Health, aging