Arthritis refers to the condition when any joint gets inflamed. When there is inflammation in the area where two bones meet, it causes pain and this is what the pain that accompanies arthritis is due to. Sometimes, there could be inflammation without or with hardly any pain but in most cases, arthritis brings in its wake a lot of discomfort and pain and sometimes even deformity when it is left untreated for too long. In most cases, arthritis spells stiffness and pain for the person who has it. It is classified as a rheumatic disease and there are over one hundred types of arthritis. Arthritis could also affect the tendons, the ligaments and the muscles.
There are over 350 million people globally who suffer from this condition and in the USA alone, the number is a staggering 40 million. Of this, 6 out of 10 are women, though it does affect both sexes and 2 out of 3 who suffer from arthritis are not the very old but under 65. In fact, there are children who are affected by this condition too. Each individual case might be slightly different, depending on how severe or mild the problem is and the area that is affected.
How do you know if you do have arthritis or whether the pain is due to other factors? The doctor will have to examine you and tests will need to be done before there you are diagnosed with the condition and put on a specific line of treatment. There will need to be a detailed spelling out of the symptoms and the pain as well as the mobility of the joint. The doctor could also prescribe X-rays as well as blood tests to see if there has been any deterioration in the joints or whether there is any aberration in the blood. He will then prescribe a total package of exercise, diet and pain medication to stop the arthritis from becoming worse and to make it get better if that is possible. Of course, if the disease has progressed considerably, stronger pain medication, rest and maybe even surgery will be necessary. Nutrition will also play a large part in helping this condition become more bearable.
The sooner any kind of pain takes you in for medical advice, the better. When arthritis is diagnosed early, there is a better chance that the condition and the pain that goes with it can be managed and there is also hope that it could be reversed. This could mean that you could stop your joints from degenerating to a point when they do not function well any more. Yes, joints do degenerate with age and this is just a part of growing old but you can take care of those joints and make the degeneration as minimal as possible. Arthritis usually cannot be cured but it can be controlled and managed and that is what the doctors help you do if you suffer from this chronic condition.