Types of Arthritis

Arthritis literally means inflammation of the joint. It is a common ailment among the aged, and covers over a hundred types. The pain that arthritis causes in the foot joints is termed Podagra and that in the hip joint is called Sciatica. The medical term for arthritic pain in the bones of the hands is referred to as Chiragra. Wherever arthritis strikes, patients complain of being permanently lamed in the affected joint. Among the elderly population, the most frequently reported genre of arthritis is osteoarthritis. This entails the weakening of weight bearing joints that form the human anatomy, like the hip and knees. At times though, less weight bearing joints like the shoulder, elbow, finger and ankle may also suffer arthritic pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is another common type of the disease that is known to make its presence felt in other body organs as well, apart from the joints it affects. This chronic condition is associated with the inflammation of the synovium, or the joint lining. Ankylosing Spondylitis is another variant of arthritic joint ache, and the condition is indicative of the fusing together of some or all of the spinal vertebrae. Gouts are yet another type that claims around 5 per cent of all arthritis victims.

This 12th of October, all the arthritic patients of Pune can look forward to a city wide convention for arthritic facts, organized on the occasion of World Arthritis Day.