Living And Coping With Arthritis - How To Stay Active And Independent

by Richard Clement

Arthritis pain can be frustrating. Nagging and crippling arthritis pain can continue day after day. How much happier would you be if you could stop your arthritis pain right now and feel great all day? Knowing the nature of the disease can really bring you the right answers.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis comprises over 100 different diseases and conditions. The word arthritis means "joint inflammation". When joints are inflamed, it causes pain and usually also limits movement of the joints that are affected.

For many people, arthritis pain has a large impact on their life. Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability. Arthritis limits everyday activities such as walking, dressing and bathing for more than 16 million Americans.

Each year, arthritis results in 750,000 hospitalizations and 36 million outpatient visits. Arthritis is not just an old person's disease. Nearly two- thirds of people with arthritis are younger than 65 years including nearly 300,000 children. Arthritis affects children and people of all racial and ethnic groups but is more common among women and older adults. The disease can affect different parts of the body. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Normal and Arthritic Joints

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the joint lining becomes inflamed as part of the body's immune system activity. RA is one of the most serious and disabling types, affecting mostly women. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally strikes between the ages of 20 and 50. Both sides of the body are usually affected at the same time. Symptoms of RA differ from person to person but can generally include:

• Joint tenderness, warmth, and swelling.
• Pain and stiffness lasting for more than one hour in the morning or after a long rest.
• Joint inflammation in the wrist and finger joints closest to the hand.
• Fatigue, an occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well.

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