The six main types of arthritis

Arthritis or rheumatism as it is often called by the lay public , means many things to different people. Essentially, it is inflammation in a joint or several joint resulting in pain , stiffness and swelling . It can be the result of several causes and is not one single state. It can affect one or more joints simultaneously joint in the body. It may just produce a slight temporary discomfort or severe pain that worsens over a period of time resulting in disability or infirmity .


So common is arthritis that up to 2 5 percent of all consultations with family physicians consist of discussions rheumatic complaints of a patient. There has been a huge increase in awareness of the widespread conditions that may influence the onset and progression of rheumatic diseases , and at the same time there has been a huge increase in the number and complexity of diagnostic procedures and therapeutic can be used to treat these conditions. Unfortunately, the technology more sophisticated and accurate has not always been accompanied by an increase in sympathetic attitudes or practice helps physicians .



Much research continues to find stronger and more powerful drugs to fight against arthritis, which can produce serious side effects, but little thought has been given to the underlying causes . Even the most common drugs used to treat the symptoms rather than correct the underlying problem . However , rheumatoid arthritis , for example, is a relatively modern disease . As a condition causing joint deformity sometimes rude and very obvious, it has never been found in Egyptian mummies and skeletons it has not been represented in the paintings of the great masters of the Renaissance. In fact , rheumatoid arthritis typically only began to emerge in the early twentieth century. This suggests that some new environmental factor may have arisen , which has boosted its appearance at this time . This may be a micro -organism , but it could be due to our diet change or new substances that surround us in our immediate environment. Since so little is known about the underlying causes of various forms of arthritis , orthodox doctors should be less dismissive of most useful work to explore some of the newest and most controversial treatments.

There are many different types of arthritis , but all those in general practice and hospital following are among the most common .

Post-traumatic arthritis

This is the result of an injury to a joint. It is more common in older people who stumble and fall , as is the case of younger patients who have different sports as a leisure activity . A joint can be sprained causing damage to the ligaments around it, or capsule that binds , it can be dislocated joints where bone ends are disrupted from their normal position so that they can not function properly, or it may even be a fracture through the joint which causes bleeding into the joint space and the likelihood of secondary arthritis in later years.

osteoarthritis

Commonly known as degenerative name or " wear and tear" arthritis, this type of arthritis is extremely common in the elderly or those who have had operations , or serious injury to their joints injuries. Other factors such as metabolic diseases or infections may be responsible , and certainly there is a strong genetic component that may make some people more vulnerable families.

Rheumatoid arthritis

This is the most serious form of inflammatory arthritis and is the result of an autoimmune disease. Here , the immune system for some reason recognizes foreign somehow joints, and produces antibodies that act against the joints themselves and their surrounding soft tissue damage . From the early Middle Ages , especially among women , the small joints of the wrists , ankles, hands and shoulders become extremely painful , swollen and stiff. The disorder can come and go in failures and remissions , but more often than not, it is a gradual evolution , which leads to a degree of disability and restriction of movement.

Still's disease

It is a form of rheumatoid arthritis in children mainly under the age of 4 . It is also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Although this rule generally downward after a number of years (as opposed to rheumatoid arthritis in adults) , it can still leave a child with growth retardation and irreversible joint deformities that may threaten their quality of life .

Inefficient arthritis

When bacteria are present in the articulation of an infected wound or blood circulation, a tank or ineffective arthritis occured. In general, joints are red , warm and swollen and painful . This type of arthritis can be the result of viral infections such as rubella and chickenpox, but can also be associated with rheumatic fever, and certain sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and non-specific urethritis .

Gout

This disorder is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood. This is one of the waste products of the body and when it accumulates in the joints , it forms tiny crystals that irritate the lining of the mechanically sensitive producing intense pain , swelling and redness. Usually , it only affects a joint at a time , in particular severe joint at the base of the big toe .

Interventions for treating osteoarthritis of the big toe joint

This summary of a Cochrane review presents what we know from research about the effect of interventions for osteoarthritis of the big toe joint.

The review shows that in people with osteoarthritis of the big toe joint:

A physical therapy program consisting of a standard physical therapy program (stretching and other exercises, ultrasound and electrical stimulation), plus extra mobilisation and gait training exercises, compared with a standard physical therapy program alone,

- May improve pain.

- Function was not measured.

- No harms or side effects occurred.

What is osteoarthritis and how is it treated?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of the joints. When your joint loses cartilage, the bone grows to try and repair the damage. Instead of making things better, however, the bone grows abnormally and makes things worse. For example, the bone can become misshapen and make the joint painful.

Doctors used to think that osteoarthritis was caused by wear and tear on the cartilage. However, it's now thought that osteoarthritis is a disease of the whole joint. Many factors may increase your risk of getting osteoarthritis in the big toe joint, such as particular foot structure, trauma, family history of the disease, joint disease, and gait abnormalities.

OA is one of the most common forms of arthritis and affects men and women equally. OA is one of the main causes of disability as people grow older.

Interventions such as physical therapy, including exercises aim to enhance or maintain muscle strength, physical fitness and overall health. People exercise for many different reasons including weight loss, strengthening muscles and to relieve the symptoms of OA.

Best estimate of what happens to people with osteoarthritis of the big toe joint:

Pain (higher scores mean worse pain)

- People who did a standard physical therapy program plus extra exercises rated their pain to be 3.8 points lower on a scale of 0 to 10 after 4 weeks, compared with people who did standard physical therapy alone (38% absolute improvement).

- People who did a standard physical therapy program plus extra exercises rated their pain to be 0.4 points on a scale of 0-10 after 4 weeks.

- People who did a standard physical therapy program alone rated their pain to be 4.2 on a scale of 0 to 10 after 4 weeks.