Arthritis Types

Arthritis Types

There are several types of arthritis. In fact, there are approximately 100 different kinds, but most are quite rare. The most common kind of arthritis is known as Osteoarthritis, and it's generally caused by age. Sometimes Osteoarthritis can be caused by other things though, such as an injury to the joints, or added stress on the joints which is caused by intense impact exercise and activity, or carrying extra weight.

Another type of arthritis that's fairly well known is Rheumatoid arthritis. This one affects about 1% of the American population, or 2.1 million people. It isn't quite know what causes Rheumatoid arthritis, but doctors and research scientists feel it's a problem with the body's own immune system. The immune system sees the joints as being foreign matter, or containing foreign matter, so it attacks those joints to try and get rid of the matter that isn't supposed to be there. Doctors feel this is a mistake, or problem with the immune system itself, while herbalists and natural remedy specialists feel differently.

Septic arthritis is a type of arthritis that's caused by an infection. Some type of bacteria, germ, or fungus takes hold in the joint, and causes inflammation, swelling, redness and pain. Sometimes the bacteria and germs are able to infect the joint through skin injuries, while other times they're carried to the joint through the blood stream from other infected areas of the body.

Gout is yet another form of arthritis that many people have heard of. Most people believe that gout is caused by drinking too much alcohol, but this is now considered to be a myth. Gout is also known as metabolic arthritis, and it's believed to be caused by an imbalance with the body's metabolism. Specifically, the body does not process uric acid properly, so uric acid crystals build up on the cartilage and tissues around the joints. Uric acid is one cause of kidney stones and problems too, because those same crystals form into stones in the urinary tract areas.

In about 75% of cases of Gout, one of the big toes is affected first. The toe swells, becomes red, tender, and painful to the touch.

Other types of arthritis are thought to be caused by specific medical conditions. Psoriatic arthritis for instance, can sometimes develop in people who have a skin disease known as psoriasis.

The most common types of arthritis can be treated in a variety of ways. One way to help reduce the pain from arthritis is to lose a little weight. The less weight your body has, the less stress there is on the joints, so the less pain there is too.

Arthritis caused by other diseases and conditions will be treated differently than those caused by cartilage degeneration or inflammation of course, and we'll get into those details in future articles.

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