Types of Arthritis

According to data released by the IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association), one in three adult Americans suffer from some form of arthritis. The data lends assertion to the fact that arthritis is a very common ailment that is afflicting Americans at large.

But having said that, one should also remember that arthritis manifests itself in many different forms. Gout, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis and just a few of the various types of arthritis.

Types of arthritis:

• Gout: Gout is one of the most common forms of arthritis. A person suffering from gout experiences pain in his joints. Gout is the result of the deposition of uric acid in the body’s tissues and/or joints. Uric acid is a waste product that is generally eliminated through our excretory system. However, due to genetic reasons or the failure of the excretory system, the body is unable to eliminate the waste product. This leads to over concentration of uric acid, which ultimately gets deposited in our body. The uric acid takes the form of needle shaped crystals and pricks the sensitive tissues. This triggers off inflammation and pain in the joints.
• Tendonitis: A person afflicted with tendonitis often experiences inflammation in his tendons. The inflammation is also accompanied by swelling and pain. One of the major causes of tendonitis is an over use of a specific part of the body. For instance, a tennis player is constantly required to make use of his shoulder and elbow. Over use causes the tendons to lose their elasticity. This results in the occurrence of tendonitis. Aging can also trigger off tendonitis is some cases.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is the most dreadful form of arthritis. Those afflicted with this particular type of arthritis often experience chronic pain in the joint, which is also accompanied by swelling and inflammation of the joints. Unlike other forms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis also affects other organs. The ailment is so severe in nature that routine tasks like brushing teeth or opening a lid might appear insurmountable. Experts state that rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It’s triggered due to the fact that the body wrongly identifies its tissues and joints as outside invaders and hence orders the immune system to attack them.
• Ankylosing spondylitis: This type of arthritis affects the spinal joints. In a person suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, one can notice that there is an inflammation as well as swelling in the spinal joints i.e. the vertebrae and the sacroiliac joints. It can cause pain in the back, which can be accompanied by stiffness. Persons afflicted with ankylosing spondylitis also sport a bent posture. In some cases, the inflammation goes to such an extent that the entire vertebra fuses together limiting a person’s mobility.
• Cervical arthritis: This type of arthritis leads to a pain in the neck. It affects the upper portion of the spine i.e. the cervical spine. The cervical spine consists of vertebral bodies, which are separated by discs. The discs play an important function of lending support as well as providing cushion to the neck. However, certain factors, such as age, gradually cause the cervical spine to degenerate and this triggers pain in the neck.
• Lumbosacral arthritis: A person suffering from lumbosacral arthritis experiences pain in his back. The reason for this pain can be directly attributed to the degeneration of the spine. People whose nature of work involve long hours of sitting or driving or require the lifting of heavy objects are more susceptible to this type of arthritis. Aging also increases the chances of contracting lumbosacral arthritis as the spine loses its suppleness and elasticity. The discs between the vertebrae also become incapable of lending proper support to the bones present in the back. A person suffering from lumbosacral arthritis experiences severe pain and stiffness in the lower back. One can also feel the pain in the sacroiliac joint i.e. the joint of the spine and the pelvis.
• Lyme: A person suffering from lyme experiences inflammation in joints. It also affects other parts of the body including heart and nervous system. Lyme, a type of arthritis is caused due to tick bites. The bite of ticks causes the transmission of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi which causes the immune system to release inflammatory agents to fight off the bacteria. However, lyme can be cured with the intake of proper antibiotics.
• Infectious arthritis: As the name suggests, this type of arthritis is formed due to the infection caused by pathogens such as gonococcus, staphylococcus, and salmonella. In case of a person suffering from infectious arthritis, the bacteria or the infection reaches the joint via the blood stream. This can cause pain and swelling in the joints. It is usually treatable but has to be detected at an early stage for it has the potential to cause severe damage to the joints as well as spread to other body parts. Though it attacks people from any age group, people suffering from diabetes, AIDS etc are more vulnerable to infectious arthritis.

Osteoarthritis: This is a medical condition wherein the patient suffers joint pain, which is also accompanied by inflammation and reddening of the joint. Constant wear and tear, along with aging, leads to the breakage of the cartilage between joints. With the protective covering gone, bones present in a joint start rubbing against each other, which causes pain and inflammation. In some cases, broken pieces of cartilage may start floating in the body and this may further worsen the pain and inflammation. This inflammation and pain is termed as osteoarthritis by the medical fraternity.

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