Arthritis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system and the damage to the joints can be bad as time goes by, accompanied by swelling and pain. Cartilage is a dense, living, tissue covering the ends of bones, protecting them from abrasion as the joint bones rub against each other.
Therefore, it has the same needs as other organs and glands; cartilage cells are called chondrocytes. All chondrocytes will die and are usually replaced by new cartilage cells.
However, over time inflammation can kill more cartilage cells than the body can replace. This is especially true if there has been an injury or there are not enough proper nutrients in the body to repair the joint.
Damage from this condition can also cause joint weakness, instability and deformities; all of which interrupt daily activities. The traditional treatment to arthritis demands change of one's lifestyle besides physical therapy and medication. In most cases your only option is to have a replacement surgery done to soothe the excruciating pain in the joints.
Arthritis is divided into to major groups that may affect the 'localized' or 'generalized' parts of the body or even depending on the joints that get damaged; it then is further divided into sub-groups. Localized Conditions: This affects the soft tissue surrounding the joints or bones is refers to conditions such as bursitis or tendinitis.
It could just be that the localized conditions could manifest themselves in just one of two joints being affected. In generalized arthritis, the disease affects the soft tissue and muscle where there isn't any evidence of inflammation or swelling. Fibromyalgia, even though it isn't associated with joint damage, is a very common form which can be placed under this particular category.
The second sub category is one where there is inflammation and the whole body is affected. Rheumatoid arthritis, gout and psortiatis arthritis are examples of the next conditions in this subcategory. Other generalized conditions are polymyositis (muscles); systemic lupus erythematosus (skin, kidneys, or other organs); and vasculitis (any organ).
An individual is capable of having more than just one arthritis type and it includes over one hundred different medical conditions that are known to affect roughly forty six million adults and three hundred thousand children within the United States. As early on as infancy, this condition can begin, even though it is most commonly seen in adults that are over the age of sixty, in the primary form of osteoarthritis. As the population within America ages, the number of individuals that are suffering from arthritis is constantly increasing.
Medical care and indirect expenses costs over 124 billion dollars in the US where arthritis and related problems are the main cause of disability. By taking the time to follow a couple of simple steps, most individuals can help to prevent osteoarthritis: The ability to maintain the appropriate weight and consume fresh vegetables and fruits are a really good source of vitamins D and C.
Consumption of calcium is very important, adults must consume about 1000-1500mg calcium every day, exercising daily is a must and one must avoid injuries that may damage the joints.
By Jakie Datton
