Events
May
Arthritis Awareness Month
In the U.S., 46 million people report that they had been diagnosed with some form of arthritis. After age 50, more women are affected by arthritis than men. An estimated 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. will be diagnosed with some form of arthritis. Many people don’t know they have arthritis until symptoms occur, such as joint pain and stiffness.
What is arthritis?
There are three types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form affecting approximately 27 million people in the U.S.
It is often referred to as degenerative joint disease. Over time, the cartilage in joints breaks down and wears away. The bones at joints rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain, and lack of movement in the joint. The hips, hands, knees, lower back, and neck are most commonly affected.
Symptoms include pain and/or stiffness after periods of inactivity or excessive activity, “grating” sensation during joint movement, and little bony growths at the affected areas of the joint.
Risk factors include heredity, overweight, injury to the joint or the nerves surrounding the joint, repeated use of certain joints, decreased amount of physical activity, and increasing age.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term illness characterized as inflammation of the lining within a joint. It may lead to long-term joint damage, chronic pain, and loss of joint function. It is commonly diagnosed in the smaller joints of the fingers, hands, and wrist. Women are 2-3 times more likely than men to develop RA.
Symptoms often include stiffness in the morning, or during long periods of inactivity, weakness, flu-like symptoms, pain associated with long periods of sitting, lumps under the skin near the affected joint, muscle pain, loss of appetite, and sweaty hands or feet.
The cause is unknown.
Exercise, pain medication, and joint protection are ways to treat the condition.
Juvenile arthritis is a form of arthritis that develops in the larger joints of children and teenagers. Children with juvenile arthritis experience joint pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility of the joint. Juvenile arthritis affects approximately 1 in every 250 children in the United States.
Symptoms include pain, joint stiffness with periods of inactivity, and weakness.
Possible risk factors include genetics, obesity, and lack of physical activity.
If you have pain or stiffness in a joint, on occasion or all the time, make an appointment with your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment. See http://www.arthritis.org/index.php
Cailyn Kouns, Jessica Schiefer, Samantha Rambo: Capital University Nursing
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