Most people have heard of arthritis before and that it is painful, but not many people are actually aware of what causes arthritis. The question of what causes arthritis is one of great importance, and one that all people should be aware of whether they or someone they know is presently suffering from arthritis or not.

The Most Common Causes

Although there is really an array of different possible causes of arthritis, there are a few in particular which have proven to be especially common causes. This includes joint instability, age related changes, altered biochemistry, genetics, environmental factors and psychological factors.

Of all the answers to the question of what causes arthritis, genetics is by far one of the most common and yet controversial. Thousands of arthritis sufferers around the world have a family history of the disease and use this to explain why they developed the disease, but many scientists deny that genetics play a role here.

Exactly how much heredity or genetics contribute to what causes arthritis is really not well understood at this point, although researchers worldwide are dedicated to finding out more about this matter.

Environmental factors are also considered to play a major role in what causes arthritis. Even the environment during fetal and infant life is taken into consideration here and thought to play a part in some cases of arthritis. There is also evidence that the developing immune system can be permanently altered by this early environment.

Treatment

Once you are aware of the possible causes of arthritis you are going to need to learn more about what sort of treatment options are available to you here. The most effective treatments for arthritic diseases include rest and relaxation, exercise, proper diet, and medication, to name a few.

Arthritis sufferers should also keep in mind that there are many successful all natural treatments that can be used for arthritis and that prescription medication is not always the best idea. Most of these drugs come with serious side effects and are usually difficult to wean off of. The most important thing is that you speak to your doctor about this, making sure that you are as honest and informative about your condition as possible.

Using this and the results of some standard tests your doctor will be able to determine which specific method of treatment is going to work best for you, and looking at the long term inform you of how well you are going to be able to get your arthritis under control.