Athritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. The main symptoms are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. Osteoarthritis causes cartilage — the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint — to break down. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints. Uric acid crystals, which form when there’s too much uric acid in your blood, can cause gout. Infections or underlying disease, such as psoriasis or lupus, can cause other types of arthritis. Treatments vary depending on the type. The main goals of treatments are to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. The most common signs and symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Depending on the type of arthritis, signs and symptoms may include pain, stiffness, swelling, redness, and decreased range of motion.
The two main types of arthritis osteoarthritis and rheumatoid. The difference between the two is the extent of damage in joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, which involves wear-and-tear damage to a joint’s cartilage — the hard, slick coating on the ends of bones where they form a joint. Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and allows nearly frictionless joint motion, but enough damage can result in bone grinding directly on bone, which causes pain and restricted movement.
Osteoarthritis also causes changes in the bones and deterioration of the connective tissues that attach muscle to bone and hold the joint together. If cartilage in a joint is severely damaged, the joint lining may become inflamed and swollen. Rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s immune system attacks the lining of the joint capsule, a tough membrane that encloses all the joint parts. This lining (synovial membrane) becomes inflamed and swollen. The disease process can eventually destroy cartilage and bone within the joint. APA