Arthritis is a term used to describe inflammation of the joints. Cartilage is a type of body tissue that keeps joints moving freely and functioning well. When that cartilage begins to break down or gets inflamed, the joints don’t work as well, and they become painful.
The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, can bring on the following arthritis symptoms:
- Pain
- Limited motion or loss of motion in a joint or joints
- Swelling
- Redness
- Heat in the joints
Damage may occur to the joints and lead to osteoarthritis because of:
- Advancing age
- Carrying excess weight
- Repetitive stress and motion of a joint
- Injury to a joint
When arthritis strikes, it can leave joints feeling stiff and painful and keep you from getting around as you normally would. Treatment is necessary to repair these joints and get you moving again. Arthritis medication can help manage the inflammation causing your joint problems, while surgery may be needed to replace or repair badly damaged joints.
So the next time you pick up your cell phone, kick a soccer ball, or wave to your neighbor, thank your joints, and think about what you can do to protect them over the long term.