Arthritis is a disease that brings on stiffness and pain with swelling and it affects the muscles and the bones, especially the joints where it causes the most damage. Each bone is covered with a living tissue that covers the ends of the bones and guards them from rubbing against each other; this tissue is known as the Cartilage.



The cells or chondrocytes which cartilage is made up of are similar to the ones in the other glands in the human body. Like in the case of all living cells, chondrocytes die and are replaced.

The swelling damages cartilage cells faster than the body can re-generate and this cause problems. You will find this especially true if an injury has occurred or if there aren't enough of the necessary nutrients within the body to repair the joint.

Damage from this condition can also cause joint weakness, instability and deformities; all of which interrupt daily activities. The traditional treatment to arthritis demands change of one's lifestyle besides physical therapy and medication. In most cases your only option is to have a replacement surgery done to soothe the excruciating pain in the joints.

Arthritis is divided into two main categories, i.e. localized and generalized depending on areas affected; it is further subdivided into sub-categories. One of the sub-categories is localized conditions which only affect the soft tissue that surrounds the bones or joints, and is used to relate to conditions like tendinitis or bursitis.

A sub-category of this affects one or some of the joints like hip or knee joints. Generalized arthritis conditions involve a sub category where there is no swelling or inflammation but the muscle and soft tissue are affected. In this condition there is no evident kind of damage caused to the joints and is known as Fibromyalgia; this form of the condition is widespread among people.

The next condition in the second sub category causes inflammation which affects the whole body. Gout, Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are all related to this group. Still other generalized situations include polymyositis, involving muscles, systemic lupus erythematosus involving the skin, kidneys and or other organs and vasculitis where any organ is involved.

46 million adults and 300,000 children are approximately affected in the United States with one or more of the 100 different medical arthritic conditions. This condition can start as early as infancy, while it is most common among adults over 60, primarily in the form of osteoarthritis. As the American population ages, the number of people suffering with it is increasing.

Arthritis and related illnesses are the cause of major disability in the U.S. and costs over 124 billion dollars a year in medical care and indirect expenses. Osteoarthritis can be prevented by taking a few precautionary measures; these include, maintaining suitable or appropriate body weight, and consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are good sources for the vitamins C and D.

Consumption of calcium is very important, adults must consume about 1000-1500mg calcium every day, exercising daily is a must and one must avoid injuries that may damage the joints.