Types Of Arthritis

Arthritis affects more than forty million people and can range form the occasional twinge in a finger to incapacitating whole body pain.

Listed below are some common forms of arthritis and related conditions:

Osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease, resulting when the cushioning cartilage in the joints break down, causing pain and stiffness. It is the most common type of arthritis, usually affecting people after the age of forty-five.

Rheumatoid arthritis, is an autoimmune disease that inflames the lining of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is on of the most serious and disabling types of arthritis.

Fibromyalgia, is a chronic pain disorder that causes fatigue, sleep disturbances, and widespread pain in the muscles and tendons, particulary in the neck, spine, shoulders and hips. It affects mostly women.

Gout, is a painful condition that may attack both small and large joints, most often beginning in the beginning in the big toe. Gout affects mostly men and postmenopausal women.

Lupus, is a serious autoimmune disorder that can inflame and damage joints and other connective tissues throughout the body. It affects mostly women.

Juvenile arthritis refers to all types of arthritis that affect children. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of juvenile arthritis along with other forms of lupus and ankylosing spondylitis, affecting children under the age of seventeen.

Other types of arthritis include infections of the joints(Infectious arthritis), fusing of the spine (ankylosing spondylitis) or a hardening of the skin and internal organs (scleroderma).