OSTEOARTHRITIS

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in old age. It is sometimes called the degenerative arthritis or wear and tear arthritis.

Symptoms :

• Pain and sometimes stiffness of the affected joint
• Affected joint may be swollen
• The joint may feel stiff after rest. usually it comes down after a movement
• The crackling inside the joint which is called crepitus
• The muscles around the joint may be thinned or wasted

Risk factors :

• Age
• Gender as it is more common and severe in women
• Obesity
• Joint abnormalities
• Joint injury

Managing the symptoms by :

• Changing the life style
• Pain relief medications
• Physical therapy

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune and inflammatory disease that is the immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. It causes inflammation of many joints at once.

Usually it can affect any joint but is common in wrist and fingers. Usually women are affected with this.

Symptoms :

Joint pain, swelling, stiffness. The joint pain is usually throbbing. Morning stiffness, tiredness and lack of energy, a high temperature, sweating, a poor appetite, weight loss.

Causes :

Normally our immune system makes antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses, helping to fight the infection but who is having rheumatoid arthritis immune system mistakenly attacked the tissue surrounding the joint by the antibodies. Due to this the thin layer of cells around the joints become sore and inflamed and it damage the nearby bones, cartilage, tendons, l ligaments.

Sometimes Rheumatoid arthritis leads to joint damage and cardio vascular disease and cervical spine disease.

Usually raised ESR, raised CRP., may suscept as there is no definite diagnostic test