Arthritis - Causes and Treatment

05-08-2013
By Sehat

Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of the tissue lining the joints. Some signs of inflammation are redness, pain, stiffness and swelling. People having arthritis will start to feel pain and stiffness in their bodies over time.

Causes of Arthritis

Genetics and family risks:

To a small extent most forms of arthritis run in families. The way your body is made (based on the genes passed on from your parents) makes you more or less likely to develop the disease in question. We believe this could lead to the prevention of some forms of arthritis. Exactly how much heredity or genetics contributes to the cause of arthritis is not well understood. However, there are likely genetic variations that can contribute to the cause of arthritis. While several types of arthritis have a known cause, most types do not. Examples of common types of arthritis with no known cause include most cases of osteoarthritis and all cases of rheumatoid arthritis.

Age and Arthritis:

Cartilage becomes more brittle with age and has less of a capacity to repair itself. As people grow older they are more likely to develop arthritis.

Weight and Arthritis:

As joint damage is partly dependent on the load the joint has to support, excess body weight can lead to arthritis. This is especially true of the hips and knees that can be worn quickly in heavier patients.

Occupational Hazards:

Workers in some specific occupations seem to have a higher risk of developing arthritis than other jobs. These are primarily high demand jobs such as assembly line workers and heavy construction.

High-Level Sports:

It is difficult to determine how much sports participation contributes to development of arthritis. Certainly, sports participation can lead to joint injury and subsequent arthritis. However, the benefits of activity likely outweigh any risk of arthritis.

Illness or Infection:

People who experience a joint infection (septic joint), multiple episodes of gout, or other medical conditions, can develop arthritis of the joint.

What Are The Commonly Found Arthritis in People?

Arthritis is broken up into two main forms: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both have painful effects on a person's mental and physical well being. Osteoarthritis is the more common condition, and results from long-term wear-and-tear damage to your joints cartilage, causing two bones to grind directly on one another. Nearly one in two people may develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis by the time they are 85 years old; two out of three obese people are diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

Arthritis Treatments

There are many treatments available to treat arthritis, from oral medications such as over-the-counter pain killers to prescription narcotics. However, most of these only have a temporary effect. Physical therapy or any other type of active therapy helps reduce the inflammation and increase the range of motion for people suffering. Nevertheless, many sufferers look for natural remedies and holistic approaches to helping their pain.

The nutrients and vitamins in certain foods might help to alleviate some of the pain. However, there is no concrete scientific evidence proving that any specific foods can reverse the effects or cure the pain.