Arthritis is a common disease that affects your joints, causing inflammation or degeneration. It may cause pain and swelling or affect your movement. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and affects about fifty million adults and three hundred thousand children. There are different types of arthritis, with each presenting differently and requiring varying treatments. Arthritis is more common in adults, but it can affect anyone. Arthritis Gramercy can affect any joint but is more common in your feet, hands, hips, knees, and lower back. There is no cure for arthritis, but medications, a healthy diet, and exercise can manage most forms. There are many over one hundred types of arthritis, but the common ones include:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that affects your entire joint, making movement difficult and painful. It can also cause inflammation, mainly affecting your knees, hips, hands, and spine. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is more common in older adults, fifty-five years and above. The changes in osteoarthritis often happen gradually over many years. You can manage mild to moderate osteoarthritis with medications and physical activity.
Rheumatoid arthritis
In rheumatoid arthritis, your body’s immune system attacks the tissue lining your joints on both sides of your body. It can cause pain and inflammation in your fingers, hands, knees, wrist, ankles, feet, and toes. Anyone can develop rheumatoid arthritis. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, but you are at a higher risk of developing the condition if you are obese, smoke, or have a family history of rheumatoid arthritis.
Gout
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis. It happens when your body produces high uric acid levels, which build up in your blood, forming crystals in your joints. Gout causes extremely painful inflammation. In most cases, gout occurs suddenly in the large joint of your toe, but it can also affect other joints. The initial gout flare is treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and colchicine, an antigout drug. Lifestyle changes like drinking water a lot of water and avoiding alcohol can help prevent future gout attacks.
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis. Its symptoms include pain, tenderness, swelling in the joints, joint stiffness, especially in the morning, and reduced range of motion in affected joints. About thirty percent of people with psoriasis, an autoimmune condition, develop psoriatic arthritis. A family history of psoriasis can increase the chances of developing psoriatic arthritis. There is no cure for psoriatic arthritis, but medications, exercise, joint protection, splinting, and surgery can help manage your symptoms.
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis causes chronic long-term spine inflammation. It inflames the sacroiliac joints located between the base of your spine and pelvis. Inflammation usually spreads to the bones that make up your spinal column. Symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis include lower back pain and stiffness, hip pain, joint pain, fatigue, neck pain, skin rash, abdominal pain, and vision problems. You can manage ankylosing spondylitis through exercise, medications, and diet.
Arthritis is a common disease that affects your joints, causing inflammation or degeneration. There are many types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic and ankylosing spondylitis. Schedule an appointment at DeLoor Podiatry Associates for arthritis treatment to relieve joint pain.
