The Essential Guide to Arthritis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Approaches

Arthritis is a joint disorder that is the most common cause of disability in the United States. The Epoch Times

Arthritis is a joint disorder that is the most common cause of disability in the United States, with approximately 50 million adults and 300,000 children affected by it. It typically involves inflammation, swelling, and degeneration of one or more joints and causes pain when the joint moves.

Anatomy of a Joint

Soft tissues cushion your joints and prevent bones from grinding on one another. Articular cartilage, a connective tissue, enables joints to move without pain or friction.

Some joints are kept lubricated by fluid padding called synovial membranes. Others are also supported by tendons (connecting muscle to bone) and ligaments (connecting bone to bone). Different types of arthritis affect different parts of the joints.

What Are the Common Types of Arthritis?

There are over 100 types of arthritic conditions, including the following:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is joint degeneration, a form of arthritis that results from stress on the joint that breaks down joint cartilage. It is the most common form of arthritis and typically affects the hands, hips, and knees.