What Are The Common Types of Arthritis?

The three most common are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout or gouty arthritis. The area where two bones meet are called joints, and a cartilage is situated in the joints to protect the bones from shock and prevent them from rubbing against each other. When this cartilage thins, a person can feel creaking or pain in the joints when moving.

Aside from the classic “wear and tear”, arthritis can also be an autoimmune disorder, caused by a bone fracture or by bacterial or viral infection.

There are no laboratory procedures that can detect arthritis. Arthritis can only be detected though simple signs like inflammation of the joints, redness, swelling, stiffness, and pain especially in the morning. One can also experience difficulty in moving the affected area.

Joint x-ray can be done to detect the presence of arthritis. This procedure will show signs of arthritis which include fluid build-up in the joints, bone deformity ( as other type of arthritis can cause bone deformities), inflammation, and cartilage thinning. The physician may also acquire a sample of joint fluid (synovial fluid) through arthrocentesis for analysis.

Osteoarthritis

The most common form is osteoarthritis and is the type that affects both the large and the small joints of our body. It mainly affects the joints where a person bears their weight, such as with the knees, hips, back, vertebral column and hands.

This type of arthritis is often considered the arthritis of old age. Inflammation is often mild compared to other forms of arthritis and there are many questions asked about this common type of arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of an autoimmune disorder. In this case, the body produce an immune response against its own. It attacks the joints thus producing inflammation.

This type of arthritis affects the joints of the hands, wrists, knees and ankles. The inflammation in this type of arthritis causes extreme pain and may cause bone erosion and deformity of the fingers.

Gouty Arthritis

Gouty arthritis or gout as it is commonly called, is caused by an inflammation due to uric acid crystal deposits in the joints.

Your body makes uric acid from purines in certain foods. Most of the uric acid is eliminated from the body, but when the body makes too much uric acid, it gathers in the joints and causes serious problems.

A gout attack starts with tenderness, warmth and sudden pain in the joint of the big toe. That’s a classic sign of gout, although pain can happen in the ankles, knees, wrists or fingers.

The affected joint also looks red and feels hot to the touch. The initial gout attack may last a few days, but with each new attack, it lasts longer and the pain is more severe.

• There’s also plenty that you can do to prevent the next gout attack.
• First, follow a gout diet plan.
• You can also help relieve the pain of gout naturally.

This type of arthritis can be very painful and starts affecting joints one by one. Significant increase of uric acid in the blood may lead to deposition of uric acid crystal on joints. In worse cases, this type can incapacitate patients.

Other types of arthritis are psoriatic arthritis, lupus arthritis, and infectious arthritis. These forms of arthritis started from a different type of disorder and just developed into arthritis at a later stage.

• No matter what type of arthritis a person has, natural arthritis pain management is a must.

Treatment and remedies for arthritis focus on reducing the pain. When experiencing arthritis pain attack, try a hot compress by placing a hot towel over the inflamed joint for at least 30 minutes. Then, put an ice pack over the joint for 5 to 10 minutes. Regular massage of the joints can also help the person manage the pain.

Endurance exercises are also helpful as these can strengthen the capacity of the joints to carry-out long periods of work or motion. Avoid placing a lot of weight to inflamed joints for a long period of time since it can put a lot of stress on them and increase pain accordingly.

Plenty of sleep and a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables can also do wonders to the body.

Natural supplements and homeopathic arthritis medicines are also helpful in managing arthritis symptoms.