The word ‘arthritis’ means ‘inflammation of joints.’ It comes from two Greek words, athron meaning joints and itis meaning inflammation. It is a chronic disease process. In the early stages, the whole body is usually involved and one or two joints may become completely deformed, leaving the patient handicapped and somewhat weakened.
There are two categories of joints, namely, synarthrosis or those which do not move very much and do not have a cavity, and diarthrosis or those which move freely and have a joint cavity. The first type of joints are found in the head and spinal column. The second type, which is most frequently affected by arthritis, is more common and is found in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, knees, ankles and toes.
Arthritis assumes various forms, the most frequent being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammation is the main feature of arthritis, which is a reaction of the joint tissues to some form of damage or injury.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease which usually occurs in the older age-group. It is more frequent in women than in men. The disease results from structural changes in the articular cartilage in the joints, usually those which are weight-bearing such as the spine and knees.
The chief symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness in the joints. The pain usually increases after exercise. Other symptoms include watery eyes, leg cramps, allergies, arteriosclerosis, impairment in the functioning of the gall-bladder and liver disturbances. The possible causes include malnutrition, continuous physical stress, obesity, glandular insufficiency, calcium deficiency and shortage of hydrochloric acid.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease which affects not only the joints of the fingers, wrists, hips, knees and feet but also the muscles, tendons and other tissues of the body. The onset can be at any time from childhood to old age but usually appears between the ages 25 and 50.
It is three times more common in women than in men. The disease is due to an inflammatory process of the synovium or lining of the joints accompanied by swelling and eventual deformity.
Rheumatoid arthritis is often called the “cooked food disease”. It usually develops gradually over several months with persistent pain and stiffness in one or more joints. Ultimately the whole body is affected.
Symptoms include anaemia, colitis, constipation, gall bladder disturbances, low blood pressure, deformed hands and feet. The condition may be caused by hormonal imbalance, physical and emotional stress, infection severe fright, shock and injury. Hereditary factors may also be responsible for the onset of this disease.