Arthritis

Arthritis is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect joints and certain tissues.

This is a group of 100 diseases, except to mention gout, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus or juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Etymologically, arthritis is composed of two terms: “arthro” meaning joint and “itis” meaning inflammation. It is a disease that can affect any tissue. Nevertheless, it mainly affects the knees, hips, spine and other weight-bearing joints. Non-weight-bearing joints, such as the fingers, can also be affected by arthritis.

Signs of arthritis

• The affected joints are stiff, swollen and sore, preventing the suffering individual from engaging in physical activities.
• The joints stiffen in the morning.
• Movement in the affected joints and tissues is limited.

Factors of arthritis

In most cases, arthritis is caused by infection, trauma, or any natural wear and tear. This disease can also be the consequence of an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Behçet’s disease or fibromyalgia.

Forms of arthritis

Arthritis comes in two different forms:

Osteoarthritis

This is the most common form of arthritis. Compared to all other forms of this disease, osteoarthritis affects Canadians the most. Caused mainly by normal wear and tear, this form has been clearly redefined by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International as an inability of the body to restore joint mobility. Joint damage can be caused by aging or some kind of injury.

Osteoarthritis causes the deterioration of cartilage (a flexible substance that covers the ends of bones). Without it, the bones rub against each other. This results in pain, swelling and stiffness of the joint. Movements become less extensive because of these symptoms. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the knees, hips, joints of the spine and hands.

This disease is favored by different factors: obesity, age, gender, work, certain sports activities, joint injuries, surgical operations and genetics.

Inflammatory arthritis

This form of arthritis is different from osteoarthritis, since damage to the joints is caused by inflammation. Inflammatory arthritis (IA) is considered an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system does not always protect the body: it can attack healthy tissue instead of defending it against infections and bacteria.

The different forms of IA generate inflammation that can cause pain, stiffness, limitation of movement, fatigue or joint damage. They must be detected and treated as soon as possible. If this is not the case, they evolve and manifest themselves more aggressively than osteoarthritis.

In addition to osteoarthritis, IA includes all forms of arthritis and other diseases such as gout and lupus. Its most common forms include ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Other lesser-known forms have also been detected by the researchers. There are forms of AI that are considered systemic because they can affect all parts of the body.

Physiotherapist may be required

Our professionals also give you practical advice to live better with this disease on a daily basis. Our goal is to help you live well every day without worrying about pain or possible movement restrictions caused by arthritis.