The term arthritis does not refer to a single disease, but rather to a group of over 100 different forms of a disease, and in other words it is a sort of umbrella term that is used to refer to these medical conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system, specifically those joints where two or bones meet.

While there could be over one hundred different types of arthritis and those are just the ones known and recognized at this time, there are 3 particularly that are particularly important and common : rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and osteo arthritis.

Osteo arthritis is essentially recognized as being the commonest form of arthritis of all, and it is due to the breakdown of cartilage in the body. Over time the cartilage may finish up wearing away completely, and though osteo arthritis is a type of arthritis that's in a position to affect just about any joint of the body, it most frequently affects the hips, knees, hands and backbone.

Although osteo arthritis is considered as being a non-inflammatory arthritis, meaning that it does not cause inflammation of the joints and muscles as most other types of arthritis do, this is actually not true, and although there is usually no swelling during the earlier stages of the disease, as it progresses there can be inflammation, and in fact is in almost all cases.

Before any technique of treatment can be prescribed, a correct diagnosis must be made. Building the proper diagnosis is important, because treatment is available but only once this has been accomplished. This is the reason why as quickly as you notice any of the signs or evidence of the illness, or any sort of arthritis in fact, that you seek medical help right away.

In terms of treatment for osteo arthritis, your doctor will usually start off with something milder, such as Tylenol or Aspirin and tell you to try that for a couple of weeks. If there are no signs of improvement or relief of your pain, then they will move on to something more powerful, such as arthritis creams and gels. These are applied topically, directly onto the skin and most are usually available over-the-counter.

Ultimately there are loads more major systems of treatment, namely arthritis medicine that you could be prescribed, particularly if your symptoms are causing you significant discomfort. Codeine preparations are the most commonly commended here, and this is a combo of codeine and acetaminophen.