by Patricia Venables

Created on: January 24, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

One in three adults will suffer from some kind of arthritis as they get older. The term "Arthritis"
covers more than a hundred different types of the disease, all causing pain, stiffness, and inflammation in varying degrees.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease.

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent, caused by wear and tear on the joints and affecting mostly older people. Osteoarthritis affects the knees, hips, hands, and spine of sufferers, and results from the degeneration of joint cartilage. This form of arthritis can be the result of strains and injuries caused by repetitive movement, and can be suffered by sportsmen and women.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Sufferers can be any age. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, and can affect other organs in the body.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease but patients may have long periods of remission without symptoms.

So, how is arthritis diagnosed? Let us concentrate on osteoarthritis.

The diagnosis of arthritis is a complex matter, as so many factors have to be taken into account.
The age and sex of the patient, the joints affected, the speed of onset, and whether there are any related symptoms.

X-rays of the affected joints, and blood tests will be necessary to correctly diagnose the type of arthritis, and to accurately determine the extent of any damage to the joints.
As with all medical conditions, there are new methods of diagnosis and treatment being made available for arthritis all the time, so patients should be made aware of these by their medical practitioner.

Once a patient has been diagnosed, a treatment decision will be made depending on the precise type of arthritis, and there are many options. Most patients will be offered drug therapy to reduce inflammation and manage pain, and it may take a time to find the correct combination of medication for each individual.
A number of patients suffering from arthritis will also benefit from physiotherapy and gentle physical exercise under medical supervision.

Alternative Remedies

Alternative treatment options and dietary supplements have become popular for arthritis and osteoarthritis in particular.
The problem is, there are as many alternative treatments around as there are stars in the sky!
What works for one person will not necessarily work for another.Do

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