What is Arthritis? A Short Introduction

What is arthritis?
There are more than 100 types of arthritis. (The wordarthritis literally means "joint inflammation.") The most common type, osteoarthritis (OA), is a degenerative disease of the cartilage and bone that results in pain and stiffness in the affected joint. Although OA can occur in any joint, it usually affects one or more of the following areas: the hand, shoulder, neck, lower back, hip, and knee.
The other major form of arthritis, which causes inflammation in the lining of the joints and joint deformity, is rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In some instances RA may affect not only the joints, but also internal organs of the body (including the lungs, heart, and blood vessels). Although anyone can get RA, including children, the disease most often appears in middle age or later; furthermore, there are three times as many women as men with RA.
How to treat OA/RA?
The goals in treating arthritis are to reduce pain; to help restore mobility, function, strength, and flexibility; and to prevent unnecessary disability. Physical Therapist can develop a program consisting of low impact exercise (i.e. swimming, bicycling, walking), strength training and stretching for successful arthritis management. People with arthritis should see their doctor prior to increasing their level of physical activity and for information regarding other alternative treatments of arthritis, such as, medications and surgery.