What Is Arthritis

What is arthritis?

Many ask the question "what is arthritis?" The word "arthritis" comes from the Greek words "arth", meaning joint, and "itis" meaning inflammation. So, to simply answer your question, it is the inflammation of the joint. I know you are not satisfied with the dictionary definition and you may still be asking "well..what is arthritis again?" Here is a more in-depth answer. There are many forms of arthritis. Arthritis is a condition that is mainly marked by pain and stiffness in the joints of your body, such as the wrists, fingers, elbows, hips, legs, etc. Other forms of arthritis include bone and muscle disorders

Every joint has cartilage that provides smooth and strong cushioning at the end of bones in a joint. It prevents rough-surfaced bones from rubbing and scratching against each other when a joint is moving. If this cartilage is damaged or wears off, then the most common type of arthritis, called Osteo Arthritis, can occur.

The other common arthritis called rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the synovial membrane gets inflamed. The synovial membrane consists of a lubricating fluid that protects the joint.

According to one recent study, arthritis affects nearly 43 million Americans, which is roughly one out of six Americans. Treatments for arthritis include use of heat and ice, therapy, joint surgery, aspirin and other types of drugs to lessen pain. In general, the frequency of arthritis occurring is higher in females than in males. Even though there is no known cause of this disease, common factors are obesity, old age, bad posture, a strenuous job, physical trauma or injury.

I hope this answered your question of "what is arthritis?" and gave you some insights on this well-known disease. But, in case you are still asking "what is arthritis?" then click on the links below. They are all great sites that have great information on arthritis.

And be sure to check out our pages about , , Arthritis Relief, and elsewhere on this site.