What I know about Arthritis

According to the charity Arthritis Care approx. 10 million people have arthritis in the UK (that is 1 in 5 of the adult population) and the condition can affect people of all ages, including children. Arthritis is a condition that causes joint inflammation resulting in pain and discomfort. There are various types of arthritis but the 2 most common types are Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis. What is Osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is the most common form and affects around 8.5 million people in the UK. Sadly, it causes the cartilage between bones to gradually waste away, and so causes painful bone on bone rubbing in the joints. Osteoarthritis usually develops in people aged over 50 years, but it can still develop at any age due to a result of injury or indeed any other joint related condition. For more information on Osteoarthritis, please click on: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoarthritis/Pages/Introduction.aspx For more information on Osteoarthritis, please click on: http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/osteoarthritis.aspx What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis is the most severe but not as common as Osteoarthritis, and affects approximately 400,000 people in the UK. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys a joint which causes painful swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis usually occurs in people that are aged between 40-50 years of age, with females being 3x times more likely to get Rheumatoid arthritis than their male counterparts. For more information on Rheumatoid arthritis, then please click on: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Rheumatoid-arthritis/Pages/Introduction.aspx For more information on Rheumatoid arthritis, then please click on: http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis.aspx Some of the most common arthritic symptoms are: Joint pain and stiffness Restricted joint movement Inflammation in and surrounding the joints Weakness and muscle wasting Warmth, tenderness and redness of the skin surrounding the affected joint How can you treat Arthritis? There is no cure for Arthritis. However, there are various treatments that can help slow its progression and so help relieve and alleviate the symptoms: Analgesics (Also known as painkillers) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Also known as NSAIDS) Corticosteroids Physiotherapy & Exercise In more severe cases surgery may be recommended/required such as: Arthroplasty (joint replacement) For more information, please click on: http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/arthroplasty-for-rheumatoid-arthritis Arthodesis (joint fusion) For more information, please click on: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/surgical-procedures/ankle-fusion-operation-arthodesis.htm Osteomy (where the bone is cut and re-aligned) For more information, please click on: http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/osteotomy-for-osteoarthritis