Arthritis is not a single disease. There are over 120 kinds
of arthritis. The word "arth" comes from the Greek
and means joint and "itis" means inflammation or
infection. However in many kinds of arthritis the joint isn't
inflamed! Sometimes it is the tendons, muscles or ligaments
near the joint that have a problem. "Rheumatism"
is a broader term that relates to all kinds of pain and stiffness
associated with muscles and joints.
How is a joint made up?
A joint is where two bones meet. It is composed of about
six parts:
Cartilage: The end of each bone is covered
in cartilage which is a tough material so that it can protect
the end of the bone. The gristle that you find in meat is
the cartilage.
Synovial membrane: Around each joint is
a sac which protects the joint. It also secretes a fluid which
oils the joint. It's a little like egg white but has many
times the lubricating power of oil.
Bursa: This is a small sac near the joint.
It contains fluid which lubricates the movement of muscles
and is similar to the synovial sac.
Muscle: The muscles act like elastic and
contract and expand to move the bones in our bodies. More
about muscles.
Tendon: The tendons are like cords and attach
the muscles to the bones. You can feel them in the back of
your knee.
Ligament: Ligaments are like cords but they
are shorter than tendons. They attach bones to bones.
If someone says they have arthritis it means that they have
something wrong with one of these parts. When the synovial
membrane is inflamed this is true arthritis as the joint is
inflamed. In ankylosing spondylitis, the problem is an inflammation
where the ligaments attach to the bone. The inflammation needs
to be treated with medication and the affected joints need
to be regularly and vigorously stretched. If the joint cartilage
breaks down this is osteoarthritis. Crystals in the joint
space give us gout and when the muscles and ligaments are
affected we have fibromyalgia. Each kind of arthritis is different
and will require different treatment by your Doctor.
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