Disease: Arthritis
Overview
The word arthritis means joint inflammation. There are over 100 different arthritis conditions and diseases, and it is the leading cause of disability in the United States. The most types of arthritis in the United States are osteoarthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Information obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention .
Take the Arthritis Pain Quiz at the Mayo Clinic.
Visit the Arthritis Tutorial at the National Library of Medicine.
Prevention
There are some steps that can be taken to prevent some types of arthritis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends maintaining an appropriate body weight, and protecting your joints from injury or overuse.
- Information obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention .
Symptoms
The symptoms of arthritis can vary based on the types of arthritis. People can experience pain and stiffness in and around one or more joints, which can develop gradually or suddenly. Arthritis is a usually a chronic disease, so symptoms will come and go or last over a period of time.
Management/Treatment Options
If trying to manage arthritis the goal is to control pain, minimize joint damage, and to improve or maintain function and quality of life. Some treatments that may take place are: medication, surgery, and other measures such as physical therapy, weight loss, patient education and support, and splints or joint assistive aids.
Quick Facts
Here are some quick facts about Arthritis:
- 42.7 million adults in the United States have doctor-diagnosed arthritis
- Arthritis affects all race and ethnic groups: 34.3 million white adults, 4.4 million black adults, 2.6 million Hispanic adults, and 1.3 million adults of other races have arthritis.
- The risk of arthritis increases with age and is more common among women than men
- Arthritis costs exceeded $86 billion in 1997. ($51 billion in medical care expenditures and $35 billion in earnings losses).