THE DISABLING DISEASES: ARTHRITIS

The correct definition of arthritis is an inflammation of a joint. However, the term is widely misused and is frequently applied to vague aches in almost any part of the body. You cannot have arthritis in a part of the body like the middle of the thigh, for example, because it has no joint.

Joints of the body are found at the knees, wrists, elbows, fingers, and toes, and also the hips and shoulders. The neck and back have joints between the bones of the spine. Even if you do feel a pain in a joint, it may not always be arthritis, because there are many other parts that make up the joint structure. These include ligaments, tendons, muscles, cartilage, and bursas.

Symptoms of chronic arthritis are pain, swelling, stiffness, and deformity in one or more joints. They may appear suddenly or come on gradually. The aches and pains are not always the same. Some people feel a sharp, burning, or grinding pain. Others liken it to a toothache. Moving the joint usually hurts, although sometimes it is merely stiff.

The underlying cause of many cases of chronic arthritis is unknown. There are certain conditions that set off attacks of arthritis. Some of them are exposure to cold and dampness; a poorly balanced diet; infections of teeth, tonsils, or other parts of the body; an injury to a joint or constant strain upon it; attempting physical labour that is too hard for your age or strength; constant fatigue; and great nervous tension.

These factors also aggravate the painful symptoms of the disease.

These are some of the conditions a doctor considers when arthritis symptoms appear. He will look for other causes too, because occasionally a case of arthritis may be due to such diseases as gout or undulant fever. In younger people, it may be part of the picture of rheumatic fever, which, fortunately, does not ever cripple the joints.

The three commonest types of arthritis are infectious arthritis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The latter two are the most prevalent.