Arthritis is often thought to be a disease of old people but it is not so. It can affect very young people as well. It is quite commonly considered to be a single disease but arthritis is a term given to a collection of over 100 medical conditions together affecting the musculoskeletal system and in particular the joints. The different forms of arthritis are capable of affecting not only the muscles and joints but the whole body, sometimes including organs like the kidneys, lungs, heart, etc. To date there are over 125 types of arthritis identified. The two most common types are Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis. The others are Ankylosing spondylitis, Gout, Juvenile arthritis, Fibromyalgia and Scleroderma just to name a few.

People who suffer from arthritis will generally experience inflammation of the joints with swelling, tenderness and soreness for more than two weeks and may also have muscle ache, tiredness, be unable to sleep and depressed and find it very painful when moving around, thus leading to disability in some instances.

It is not known what causes arthritis and still the cure for it is unknown. People who get arthritis will probably suffer with it for the rest of their lives, but there are various treatments such as oral medication, diet, exercise, weight control and even surgery that are available to make life easier and bearable. If you develop a pain especially in your joints, which lasts over a couple of weeks together with fever and swelling in your joints then you should consult your physician to see if you have developed arthritis. Based on x-rays and blood tests your physician should be able to tell if you have arthritis and how acute it is and prescribe which treatment is best suited to your condition. With age, joints degenerate naturally and for most people over the age of 50 some signs of the disease are evident.

Some common myths about arthritis.

Myth: Arthritis is a negligible health condition.

This is not true. Arthritis is the most widespread health condition in America leading to disability in most people, causing major setbacks in their lives, in terms of employment and also day to day living.

Myth: Arthritis is about aches and pains.

It is a common misconception that arthritis is the name given to the aches and pains of older people. Firstly, as mentioned earlier, it is not a disease of the old; even young children are able to get it. It however is more common among the elderly.

Myth: Nothing much can be done to lessen disability and pain

To date there are no known cures for arthritis, but in today's day and age with such advancement in science, there is much that can be done to lessen the disability and pain. Exercise programs, weight control programs and even surgery are some of the measures used today.

Some points to keep in mind about arthritis.

If you suffer from arthritis, you and your physician should work hand in hand in treating this disease. The patient's cooperation is essential to successful treatment.

It should always be kept in mind that the condition for a person suffering with arthritis can be improved.

As important as the x-rays and blood tests are, it is also very important that you furnish all your observations about your condition to your physician, which in turn will enable him to treat you better.

Each type of arthritis is unique. None is better or worse than the other.

Based on your kind of arthritis your physician will give you what he thinks is the best course of treatment. However, since each person may react or respond differently to different treatments there is no such thing as an ideal treatment for an individual.

The main concern in the treatment of arthritis is the relief of pain and improving joint mobility.