What is arthritis?

The word arthritis is used to describe pain, swelling and stiffness in a joint or joints. Arthritis isn’t a single condition and there are several different types.

 It can affect people of all ages – even children and teenagers. Some forms of arthritis are more common in older people.

If you have pain in or around a joint or joints that doesn’t go away after a few days, you should see a doctor. Finding out what’s causing your pain is key to finding the right treatment and self-help options.

 

It may be difficult to say what has caused your arthritis. There are several factors that can increase the risk of each type of arthritis. It could be that the genes you inherited from your parents or grandparents made you more likely to get arthritis.

 

Arthritis can make life tough by causing pain and making it harder to get about. The symptoms of arthritis can vary from week to week, and even from day to day. Many types, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, are long-term conditions.

However, with the right treatment and approach you can manage your symptoms.

Whatever condition you have, remaining physically active will help you stay mobile and will be good for your general health.

What is a joint and how does it work?

A joint is where two or more bones meet, such as in the fingers, knees, and shoulders. Joints hold bones in place and allow them to move freely within limits.

Most of the joints in our body are surrounded by a strong capsule. The capsule is filled with a thick fluid that helps to lubricate the joint. These capsules hold our bones in place. They do this with the help of ligaments. These are a bit like very strong elastic bands.

The ends of the bones within a joint are lined with cartilage. This is a smooth but tough layer of tissue that allows bones to glide over one another as you move.

If we want to move a bone, our brain gives a signal to the muscle, which then pulls a tendon, and this is attached to the bone. Muscles therefore have an important role in supporting a joint.

The main types of arthritis

 

Because there are several types of arthritis, it’s important to know which one you have. There are some similarities between these conditions, but there are also some key differences.

Osteoarthritis

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis starts with the roughening of cartilage.

If this happens, the body can put in place a repair process to try to make up for the loss of this important substance.

The following can then happen

• Tiny bits of extra bone, called osteophytes, can grow at the ends of a bone within a joint.

• There can be an increase in the amount of thick fluid in side the joint.

• The joint capsule can stretch, and the joint may lose its shape.

Sometimes, the early stages of osteoarthritis can happen without causing much pain or trouble. However, it can lead to damage inside a joint, as well as pain and stiffness.

Osteoarthritis is more common in women and usually affects people from the age of 45 onwards. The parts of the body most commonly affected are the knees, hands, hips, and back.

Keeping active will help you maintain a healthy weight, and this will reduce the pressure on your joints. Doing regular exercise will keep muscles around a joint strong, and this will help to support and stabilise a joint affected by osteoarthritis.

Being overweight can make you more likely to get osteoarthritis and can make it worse.

Gout and calcium crystal diseases

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that can cause painful swelling in joints. It typically affects the big toe, but it can also affect other joints in the body.

Joints affected by gout can become red and hot. The skin may also look shiny and can peel.

It’s caused by having too much urate, otherwise known as uric acid, in the body. We all have a certain amount of urate in our body.

However, being overweight or eating and drinking too much of certain types of food and alcoholic drinks can cause some people to have more urate in their bodies. The genes you inherit can make you more likely to develop gout.

If it reaches a high level, urate can form into crystals that remain in and around the joint. They can be there for a while without causing any problems and even without the person realising they are there.

A knock to a part of the body or having a fever can lead to the crystals falling into the soft part of the joint. This will cause pain and swelling.

Men can get gout from their mid-20s, and in women it’s more common after the menopause. Taking water tablets can increase the risk of gout.

There are also conditions that cause calcium crystals to form in and around joints.

We all need calcium to make bones and teeth strong. However, some people can have too much calcium in their bodies, which can then form as crystals around joints. This can lead to painful swelling.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis. It is what is known as an auto-immune condition.

The immune system is the body’s natural self-defence system, and it protects us from infections and illness. When someone has an auto- immune condition, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy tissues, such as the joints, causing inflammation.

Inflammation is normally an important tool in the immune system.

It occurs when the body sends extra blood and fluid to an area to fight an infection. This is what is happening for example if you have a cut that gets infected, and the skin around it becomes swollen and a different colour.

However, in rheumatoid arthritis the inflammation and extra fluid in a joint can cause the following problems ,

• It can make moving the joint difficult and painful.

• Chemicals in the fluid can damage the bone and joint.

• The extra fluid can stretch the joint capsule. Whenever a joint capsule is stretched, it never quite returns to its original position.

• Chemicals in the fluid can irritate nerve endings, which can be painful.

• As well as causing pain and stiffness, inflammation can cause permanent damage to a joint. Starting effective treatment early on can help to minimise damage.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can include

• wollen and tender joints
• swelling and stiffness in joints in the morning that lasts for longer than half an hour
• severe tiredness, also called fatigue
• a general feeling of being unwell.

Rheumatoid arthritis often starts in the small joints of the hands and feet, and it can affect the same joints on both sides of the body at the same time. It can start quite slowly and then gradually get worse, or it can start more aggressively.

Rheumatoid arthritis can affect adults of any age. It most commonly starts among people between the ages of 40 and 60. It’s more common in women than men.

. These can have the overall effect of reducing the activity of your immune system, which is overactive and causing damage to your body.

Spondyloarthritis

Spondyloarthritis is a word used to describe a number of conditions that cause pain and swelling, mainly around the joints of the spine.

In these conditions there is inflammation of small pieces of connective tissues, called entheses. These are tough little cords that join either ligaments or tendons to bones.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of spondyloarthritis and it causes pain and swelling, mainly around the joints of the spine.

In this condition, in response to inflammation around the spine, the body can create more of the mineral calcium. This mineral is normally used by the body to make bones strong. However, in ankylosing spondylitis the extra calcium can make new bits of bone grow in the spine, and this will cause pain and stiffness.

This condition typically causes pain in the second half of the night, and swelling of your back in the morning that lasts for more than half an hour.

There are drugs that can slow this process down. Keeping active will help to minimise stiffening of the spine, while maintaining a good posture will help prevent increased curving of the spine.

Ankylosing spondylitis usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 30. It is more common among men.

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is an auto-immune condition. It is also a type of spondyloarthritis.

The body’s immune system can cause painful swelling and stiffness within and around joints, as well as a red scaly skin rash called psoriasis. The rash can affect several places in the body, including the elbows, knees, back, buttocks and scalp.

It is also common to have severe tiredness, otherwise known as fatigue.

Psoriatic arthritis usually affects people who already have psoriasis. However, some people develop the arthritis before the psoriasis. It’s possible to have the arthritis but no psoriasis at all.

This condition can affect people of any age, but tends to affect adults.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

If someone is diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis before their sixteenth birthday, it’s called juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or JIA.

There are different types of JIA. They are auto-immune conditions, and the immune system can cause pain and swelling in joints.

The earlier someone is diagnosed with JIA, the better. This is so that effective treatment can be started and limit any damage to the body.

When should I see a doctor?

It’s common to have aches and pains in your muscles and joints from time to time. This may especially be true if you take part in unusual or strenuous physical activities.

So, how can you tell the difference between the early signs of arthritis and normal pain and stiffness? And, how do you know when you should see a doctor about your symptoms?

If you have swelling or stiffness that you can’t explain and that doesn’t go away in a few days, or if it becomes painful to touch your joints, you should see a doctor. The earlier you get a diagnosis and start the right type of treatment, the better the outcome will be.

Here are some other things to think about that might help you decide whether you need to see a doctor

Persistence of symptoms

• How and when did the pain start?

• If the pain came on after unusual exercise or activity you may have just overdone it a bit, and the pain should ease within a few days.

• See a doctor if the pain isn’t linked to an injury or if the pain won’t go away.

Swelling of joints

• If a joint becomes swollen, and isn’t linked to an injury, you should see a doctor.

• This is especially important if you’re also unwell or have a fever, or if the joint is red and warm

How can I help myself if I have arthritis?

As well as medical treatments, there are many things you can do to help yourself manage your arthritis.

You might not always feel like exercising if you have arthritis. And you might be worried that exercising will make your pain or your condition worse.

However, exercise can make symptoms such as pain and swelling better. There are several reasons why this is the case:

• Your muscles will become stronger. This will provide better support to the joint.

• Your joints will become supple and less likely to become stiff.

• Your joints will be able to maintain their range of movement.

• Exercise improves your overall health and fitness and can help you maintain a healthy weight.

• Exercise leads to the release of chemicals in the body called endorphins. These are painkillers produced naturally by the body. Releasing them into the blood through exercise can make you feel good.

• Exercising regularly can help you get good sleep, which can help the body repair itself.

What type of exercise should I do?

People usually find that low-impact exercise is best. Swimming, cycling, brisk walking, yoga, t’ai chi, and Pilates are all examples of exercises that have helped people with arthritis. It’s good to find something you enjoy so that you keep doing it.

You may feel some discomfort and sometimes pain when you exercise. This feeling is normal and should calm down a few minutes after you finish. It’s not a sign that you are hurting yourself. Exercise will help reduce pain and can help you manage your arthritis better.

While you can push yourself and do strenuous exercise, it’s important not to overdo it. If you are in pain that you can’t cope with during or after your activity, you will need to see a doctor. The key is to start off gently and to gradually increase the amount you do.

Regular exercise is also an important part of maintaining a healthy weight. This will improve your symptoms as it will take pressure off joints. Being overweight can make someone more likely to have inflammation in their body.

The best way to lose weight is to have a healthy, low-fat, low-sugar and balanced diet. Make sure you have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and exercise regularly. If you burn off more calories than you consume on a daily basis, you will lose weight.

Homoeopathy And Arthritis

While there exists several different forms of arthritis, but the most common types that are prevalent amongst patients today would include osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Every year on October 12, World Arthritis Day is observed to raise awareness about this painful disease.

We explore if homeopathy can contribute in alleviating the pain associated with this disease that affects the joints. Homoeopathy has been proven to provide great relief to patients who have had either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, or in rare cases, both.

“Homoeopathic medication can aid in managing pain and improve mobility of joints and as well as enable permanent recovery for the patients of osteoarthritis.

The significant advantage of homoeopathic medication is that it can continue for a longer duration minus any side effects, until patient gets complete recovery," says Dr. Yogesh Ghonghde MD Hom Director Sanjivani Homeopathy Diet And Yoga Clinic Nashik .

Furthermore, with homeopathy, it is also possible to treat constitutional defects relating to OA, i.e. the hereditary tendency for developing OA.

Some of the commonly used homoeopathic medicines for management of OA include: Bryonia, Rhus Tox, Arnica, Ruta, etc.

Along with those medicines, few other constitutional remedies like Calcarea Carb, Sulphur and Tuberculinum also provide remarkable results.

They not just manage the pain and swelling but also give permanent relief toward the underlying symptoms.