From the Editor
Arthritis is a debilitating disease that causes pain, stiffness and swelling from the inflamation of a joint or the area around joints. Arthritis is caused by injury, disease or just the passing of time. The most common types of arthritis are :1) Osteoarthritis(OA)- sometimes called degenerative arthritis because it is a wearing out condition involving the break down of cartilage in joints. When cartilage wears away, the bones rub against each other, causing pain and stiffness. OA usually occurs in people aged 50 years and older, and frequently in individuals with a family history of osteoarthritis.2) Rheumatiul Arthritis (RA) - Produces chemical changes in the joint space that cause it to become thickened and inflamed. In turn, the synovial fluid destroys cartilage. The end result is cartilage loss, pain, and stiffness RA affects women about 3 times more often than man, and may affect other organs of the body. 3) Post traumatic arthritis ; may develop after an injury to the joint in which the bone and cartilage do not heal properly. The joint is no longer smooth, and these irregularities lead to more wear on the joint surface.
Early diagnosis and treatment tailored to an individuals need are crucial in slowing or preventing damage to joints. Because there are so many times of arthritis, each type of arthritis has different symptoms and treatments. There are, however, many ways to help control arthritis. Care for arthritis often involves more than one type of treatment.
There are three basic categories of treatments, which are : medication, physiotherapy and exercise and lastly surgery. Our cover story this week is Arthritis. We have, therefore, tried to include articles and information on the causes, prevention, if any and treatment for different type of arthritis.
