Arthritis is a general term that refers to a group of conditions that affect the health and functioning of bone joints in the body. It is estimated that one in three Americans suffer from arthritis of some form. Arthritis affects nearly twice as many women as men.
Included in the category of arthritic diseases are rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, which are both autoimmune disorders. There is septic arthritis, which is caused by infection of the joint. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative joint disease.
Arthritis can also be caused by injury from sports, repetitive motion, overexertion and falls. Differing from the autoimmune types of arthritis, osteoarthritis affects large groups of older people and is the result of degeneration of cartilage in the bone joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a very inflammatory autoimmune disorder where the immune system actually attacks the joints specifically. It is a painful and disabling condition that can lead to joint destruction and intense and chronic pain. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause a meaningful decrease in a patient’s mobility, which too often has deleterious effects on a person’s mood and sense of wellbeing.
Psoriatic arthritis is another type of inflammatory autoimmune arthritis that affects around 20% of people that suffer from the chronic skin condition called psoriasis. Treatments for psoriatic arthritis are very similar to those used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. This type of arthritis can develop at any age, but tends to show up about ten years after the initial signs and symptoms of psoriasis.
For most people suffering from psoriatic arthritis, the onset occurs between the ages of thirty and fifty. There have been cases, however, where children as young as four have been diagnosed with this autoimmune type of arthritis. It appears that women and men are equally affected by psoriatic arthritis. In approximately one in seven cases of psoriatic arthritis, the disease develops with no prior psoriasis symptoms.
The main goal of most psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis therapies is to focus on inflammatory treatments that will reduce swelling and inflammation. Pain medications containing naproxen are often the first line of defense against the pain and swelling associated with these types of arthritis.
Other treatments for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis include injections of corticosteroids into the joints that are most severely affected. If none of these treatments provides relief, sometimes immunosuppressant substances like methotrexate are added to a treatment regimen. An advantage of this type of therapy is that the immunosuppressants will also treat the underlying psoriasis.
No matter which type of arthritis, all forms of this disease are painful. Pain is usually the worst in morning or on initiating movement after longer periods of rest. This usually slowly subsides over a period of activity. Sometimes, the pain is not a primary complaint of those suffering from arthritis. Instead, a chief complaint may be that the affected areas are simply stiff or the person ‘doesn’t feel like’ moving it.
IN the diagnosis of arthritis, x-rays and blood tests of the joints that are affected, is usual practice. X-rays can show bone appositions or erosions, and blood tests show electrolyte levels as well as information about renal function and calcium, phosphate and protein levels. These types of tests help determine the type of arthritis a person has, as well as the best methods of treatment.
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