What is Arthritis?

Whenever you see "itis" at the end of a condition, you know there is going to be inflammation involved. In this case, it is an inflammation of the joints.

The word Arthritis comes from a Greek root, arthro. It is used to describe a group of conditions that are characterized by pain and swelling in the joints of the human body. Joints are connections between bones and consist of soft tissues. In the various forms of Arthritis, this soft tissue is the source of the pain. Some types of Arthritis are said to be autoimmune in origin. This means that the body is actually attacking itself causing the damage. The most common form of Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis is an example of this. Septic Arthritis is caused by an external infection.

Gouty Arthritis is caused by the deposit of uric acid crystals in the joints. The most common form of Arthritis is Osteopathic Arthritis. It can be the result of infection or the aftermath of trauma. It is sometimes just the result of the normal aging process. The normal method of diagnosis is the presence of pain. Depending on the type of Arthritis and the severity of the condition, the pain might only be present at certain times, or only associated with movement.

The condition is very common and is the leading cause of disability in persons over 55 years of age. There is some evidence of ankle joint arthritis in the bones of dinosaurs. The evidence of this condition in human beings goes back at least 5000 years. It was found in the famous ice age mummy found in the Alps as well as in Egyptian mummies.

In the very early days of medical history, it was discovered that chewing willow bark gave some relief to the pain of Arthritis. This treatment was first recorded in 500 B.C. Over 2000 years later, European scientists began to study the chemical compounds in willow bark to isolate the one that was helping with the pain. They isolated a compound known as salicin that was responsible, but it was too harsh to be easily tolerated by the stomach. In 1897, a man named Fredrick Hoffman who was employed by the Bayer Company, a dye making firm, isolated salicin and found a way to make it more tolerable to the stomach. This led to the discovery of Aspirin, which is to this day, considered one of the best treatments for Arthritis.

Arthritis can be extremely severe or it can be just a mild annoyance. It is one of those conditions that are so general that it is hard to pin down a specific cause or suggest a sure fire cure. Some success has been had with the use of certain alternative medicines such as acupuncture and herbal treatments. It is still, too often, one of the disadvantages of growing old and about the most that can be hoped for is some relief from the pain.