What your joints need

There are over 100 types or forms of arthritis. The most common form is osteoarthritis which normally affects the weight bearing joints. When the weight bearing joints such as the spine, knees, hips and the feet have to support excess weight, they become weak leading to degeneration of the cartilage. The cartilage is normally found between bones and as it degenerates, the bones begin to rub against each other leading to pain, stiffness, inflammation as well as tenderness in the joints. Effective remedies in this case are weight control and exercise which will help to build and retain muscle mass.

Inflammatory forms of this disease refer to conditions of the joints that involve the immune system. It has been noted that many forms of arthritis are autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune disorders normally occur when abnormalities in the immune system make the body to attack its own joints as well as other connective tissues. Examples of autoimmune conditions include rheumatoid, ankylosing spondylitis and lupus.

Rheumatoid is a chronic and systematic disorder that affects the joints leading to inflammatory synovistis. It can also lead to the degeneration of articular cartilage. Ankylosing spondylitis is a rheumatic condition  that commonly affects joints in the spine and the sacroilium in the pelvis. It can also affect other joints such as the knees, hips, shoulders and the feet.

Lupus is another autoimmune disease that is characterized by acute and chronic inflammation of body tissues. This disorder can lead to diseases of the joints, skin, heart, kidneys, lungs and the nervous system. Psoriatic is another inflammatory form of arthritis that affects people suffering from the chronic skin condition psoriasis.