About Arthritis

About 37 million people in the United States, or 1 out of 7 Americans, suffer from some kind of arthritis, or inflammation of one or more joints.

Joint inflammation is the body's reaction to various disease processes. These include mechanical injury to a joint, the presence of an infection (usually caused by bacteria or viruses), an attack on the joints by the body itself (an autoimmune disease), or accumulated "wear and tear" on joints. Often, the inflammation goes away after the injury has healed, the disease is treated, or the infection has been cleared by the immune system, sometimes with the help of antibiotics. However, with some injuries and diseases, the inflammation does not go away or destruction results in long-term pain and deformity. This is considered arthritis. There are more than 100 types of arthritis with many different possible causes.

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About Arthritis

The Different Types of Arthritis

Common Causes of Arthritis

Arthritis Treatments

Tips on Living with Arthritis

Types of Arthritis Medications


Patients with arthritis may suffer from the following symptoms:

  • Joint pain
  • Joint swelling
  • Early morning stiffness
  • Warmth around a joint
  • Redness of the skin around a joint
  • Reduced ability to move the joint
  • Unexplained weight loss, fever, or weakness that occurs with joint pain
Most cases of arthritis are not preventable. The goal is to diagnose and treat arthritis early. Find out if you have a family history of arthritis-related conditions. However, some factors increase your risk of developing arthritis.

Some risk factors for osteoarthritis are obesity, a history of trauma, and various genetic and metabolic diseases. Some scientists believe that osteoarthritis may develop in some people if they abuse their joints (injure them many times or over-use them while injured). Take care not to over-work a damaged or sore joint, as this may help postpone or eliminate possible development of osteoarthritis.

Excess weight also increases the risk for developing osteoarthritis in the knees, and possibly in the hips and hands, especially in women. Research shows that overweight middle-aged and older women who lose 11 pounds or more over 10 years can cut in half their risk for developing knee osteoarthritis. In men, being overweight increases the risk for developing gout.

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