General Medical Advices

Archive for the ‘Types of Arthritis’ Category

Medical Description
The term Arthritis (from Greek arthron: joint) includes more than one hundred diseases characterized by inflammation in one or more joints, and whose causes are various. It can be an acute or chronic. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common forms of arthritis.

Previously, we used instead the word rheumatism (rheumatismus the Latin for “flow of fluids) to refer to all these diseases that are accompanied by pain in joints or surrounding tissue. This term is now considered obsolete by the Arthritis Society of Canada.

Pain, swelling and often redness and warmth to the joints are typical of these diseases.

Inflammation may occur as a result of shock, diseases, infections or simple wear and tear, but can also be the consequence of an autoimmune disease whereby the body attacks its own tissues. Sometimes, the joints swell for no apparent reason.
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