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- What is arthritis?
- Symptoms of arthritis
- Causes of arthritis
- Prevention of arthritis
- Risk factors for arthritis
- Complications of arthritis
- When to see a doctor about arthritis
- Diagnosis of arthritis
- Conventional treatment of arthritis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of arthritis
- Living with arthritis
- Caring for someone with arthritis
Arthritis is a disorder of the joints, which presents with a great deal of inflammation and discomfort with any type of movement. There are over 200 kinds of rheumatic diseases – the word rheumatic means aches and pains in joints, bones and muscles.
A joint is where two bones join to form movement (ie elbow, knee). Covering each of the bones at a joint is some cartilage tissue, which stops the bones from rubbing against each other and causing damage. In arthritis, the cartilage becomes inflamed, worn or torn (depending on the type of arthritis) and does not function properly. The synovial fluid, which also protects the bones from impact as well as providing nutrients and removes toxins, surrounds the joint and is part of the joint capsule.
Some of the most common types of arthritis are:
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) - this type of arthritis affects children. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the name for a number of different types of arthritis that affects children. JIA is also known simple as juvenile arthritis. Juvenile arthritis causes inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints in children under the age of 16
- Osteoarthritis (OA) - this type of arthritis is related to the wear and tear of cartilage. Cartilage is the tissue that cushions the bones at joints, to protect it and in people with osteoarthritis the cartilage becomes worn and causes problems at the joints
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) - this type of arthritis is related to chronic inflammation of the joints, which results from an overactive immune system. This type of arthritis, may also involve inflammation of other tissues and organs in the body
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Some facts about arthritis
- Arthritis basically means inflammation of one or more joints in the body
- Arthritis is the major cause of disability and chronic pain in Australia
- There are two main types of arthritis, under which the various forms are classified: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Around one in six people in Australia have some form of arthritis
- There are about 120 different types of arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis is known as a systemic illness as it can affect many systems in the body
- Rheumatoid arthritis also known as "rheumatism"
- Most people with arthritis (about two-thirds) are between 15 and 60 years old
- Managing pain is the most common challenge for people with any type of arthritis
- More women (61%) than men have osteoarthritis
- More women (57%) than men have rheumatoid arthritis
- One child in every 1,000 is diagnosed with arthritis in Australia
- Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis that is diagnosed
- Fibromyalgia, lupus and gout are also considered to be rheumatic conditions and part of the whole health condition known as arthritis
- Osteoporosis, a condition of the bones is closely related to arthritis
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