There are many different types of arthritis, over 100 in fact, but one of the most common and dangerous is degenerative arthritis. Also known as osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis is a slowly progressive arthritis of unknown cause which affects several joints, and tends to occur in older aged people, usually over the age of 50.

Aging is the number one contributor to the development of this disease, and besides that other potential factors are: injury to joints, repetitive use of joints, being overweight, stressing the joints, and family history, as degenerative arthritis is considered to possibly be hereditary as well.

Symptoms

In terms of the symptoms that are associated with degenerative arthritis, the most commonly reported symptom is pain in the affected joints after repetitive use. It is important to realize that unlike other certain types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis, that this form does not affect any other organs of the body.

Swelling, warmth, and a creaking of the bones and joints are all common symptoms as well, and in more severe cases, complete loss of cartilage cushion causes friction between bones, and results in causing pain with limited motion.

The symptoms will vary from one person to another, as some people while experience intense pain while others notice nothing at all. Symptoms can also be intermittent, being that they go into remission for a while and then reappear some time afterwards. It is especially not unusual for patients with degenerative arthritis to have pain-free intervals between symptoms.

Over time, this form of arthritis will result in causing the formation of hard bony enlargements of the small joints of the fingers, and this bone deformity is a result of the bone spurs from the degenerative arthritis in that joint. If you ever experience any of the symptoms mentioned here, then it is crucial that you get in to see your doctor as soon as possible so that a proper diagnosis can be made.

Once you have been diagnosed, if it is determined that you do in fact have degenerative arthritis, now is the time that treatment will be decided.

Treatment

There is as of yet no specific treatment available for degenerative arthritis, but the goal of overall treatment at this point is to reduce joint pain and inflammation while improving and maintaining joint function, and this can be done best with arthritis creams and gels, as well as arthritis medication.