Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation in the joints. Inflammation is characterized by swelling, redness, heat, and pain. Arthritis is also a term that covers over 100 different types of rheumatic diseases. The following are examples and descriptions of the more common rheumatic diseases:

• Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease in which the cartilage that covers the ends of bones in the joint deteriorates, causing pain and loss of movement as bone begins to rub against bone. It is the most prevalent form of arthritis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which the joint lining becomes inflamed as part of the body's immune system activity. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most serious and disabling types, affecting mostly women.
• Gout, which affects mostly men. It is usually the result of a defect in body chemistry. This painful condition most often attacks small joints, especially the big toe. Fortunately, gout almost always can be completely controlled with medication and changes in diet.
• Ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that affects the spine. As a result of inflammation, the bones of the spine grow together.
• Juvenile arthritis, a general term for all types of arthritis that occur in children. Children may develop juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or childhood forms of lupus, ankylosing spondylitis or other types of arthritis.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), a serious disorder that can inflame and damage joints and other connective tissues throughout the body.
• Scleroderma, a disease of the body's connective tissue that causes a thickening and hardening of the skin.
• Fibromyalgia, in which widespread pain affects the muscles and attachments to the bone. It affects mostly women.

Arthritis is one of the most common chronic health problems in the nation and the leading cause of disability among Americans over the age of 15. It is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability. The following chart shows a few statistics on arthritis in the U.S.

Pain Management

There are a many different treatments that can be used to help alleviate the pain caused by arthritis. These treatments range from breathing, simple exercising, medications, surgeries, and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and bee sting therapy. Because there are so many treatment options it would take to long to describe each one so we will cover the different medications, exercise, and surgical treatments for arthritis.

Because arthritis is an inflammatory condition, the medications that are prescribed are in a category called NSAIDS or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. The following medications are a few of the most common prescribed for arthritis:

• Diclofenac potassium (e.g. Cataflam®)
• Etodolac (e.g. Lodine®)
• Indomethacin (e.g. Indocin®)
• Ketoprofen (e.g. Orudis®)
• Nabumetone (e.g. Relafen®)
• Naproxen (e.g. Naprosyn®)

NSAIDs work by blocking the production of prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that contribute to pain and inflammation. By blocking the inflammatory actions of prostaglandins, traditional NSAIDs can lead to an upset stomach and peptic ulcers, or interfere with kidney function. Because of these side effects, the use of NSAIDS should be under the supervision of your physician.

The primary goal of exercising for arthritis is to maintain joint function. There are different types of exercise that do not put a heavy strain on the joints and will give the same effect as regular strength training. The following are different types of exercising that can be performed by patients suffering from arthritis:

• Range of Motion exercises are movements benefit the joints by encouraging you to move your limbs, head, neck, torso so the joints and surrounding tissues will continue to move freely.
• Strength Training improves weight-bearing tolerance and overall muscle and tendon function. Isometric exercises are sometimes more appropriate, in order to stay in a pain free range of motion.
• Aerobic Training is beneficial to overall fitness. This can include walking, swimming or biking. Try working up to 20-30 minutes per week. This can be broken up into 10 minute sections if there is extra stress on the joints.
• Alternative Exercises can include yoga, pilates, and tai chi. These forms of exercises place low to moderate stress on the body. Classes are usually held in local fitness centers and they will provide beginner poses.

The primary purpose of surgery is to reduce pain, improve the affected joint's function, and to improve the patient's ability to perform everyday tasks. Surgery is performed to remove loose pieces of bone and cartilage from the joint; replace joints; reposition bones; and resurface bones. Rheumatoid arthritis can often rupture tendons in the hands causing the patient to undergo surgery to repair them. A surgeon can also remove the inflamed tissue from a joint in order to reduce the patient's pain.

Before trying any of these pain reduction methods, talk to your physician about which would be right for you. What was covered here were only a few arthritis facts and possible ways to manage pain, there is much more information on arthritis and the following web sites are excellent sources that will go into more detail about the before mentioned topics:

Arthritis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
http://www.arthritis.org
http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis