| When asking what arthritis is, one must merely look | | | | Another common form of Arthritis, called rheumatoid |
| to the roots of the word, which has Greek origins | | | | arthritis, is actually a disorder of the immune system, |
| and literally translates into "Inflamed Joints." As | | | | where one's body is literally attacking its own joints. |
| diseases go, arthritis has had a long and prosperous | | | | This type of arthritis manifests itself in many, |
| history: Paleontologists have discovered signs of the | | | | sometimes in every joint at once, and causes soft |
| bone disease in human skeletons that date as far | | | | tissues to swell. It is a chronic disorder that, if left |
| back as 4500 BCE. Arthritis has been discovered in | | | | unmanaged, can cause deformation of the hands (as |
| the buried remains of pre-colonial Native Americans as | | | | the joints in the fingers begin to twist themselves |
| well as in ancient bodies all along Europe. Signs of | | | | due to swelling), deformation of the neck, |
| arthritis have even been discovered in Egyptian | | | | Unlike Osteoarthritis, which is attributable to old age, |
| mummies. | | | | the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is entirely unknown, |
| Despite the thousands of years that arthritis has | | | | though many in the medical field believe it to be |
| plagued humanity, it wasn't until about 500 BCE that | | | | infectious. While rheumatoid arthritis can be treated |
| people discovered a way to relieve the primary | | | | with anti-inflammatories and analgesics, Xenobiotic |
| symptom of arthritis: pain. Through one method or | | | | agents are the only known treatment known to |
| another, some bright soul discovered that willow bark | | | | stunt the disease's progressions. |
| relieved aches and joint stiffness, and this became | | | | Gout is another type of arthritis, and is caused |
| the primary reagent in elixirs and potions for | | | | primarily my poor diet, where one consumes too |
| centuries. It wasn't until the early 1800's when the | | | | many high purine foods, and not enough vitamin C |
| scientific community isolated the pain killer Salicin from | | | | and vitamin B complex. Gout manifests itself through |
| the tree bark. Unfortunately, salicin by itself irritates | | | | the swelling of joints on the hands and feet, and |
| the stomach, so it wasn't until 1897, when a dye | | | | often causes a large painful lump to appear on one's |
| company called The Bayer Company found a way to | | | | big toe. |
| use Salicin without it being noxious. The resulting | | | | Arthritis, although it exists in hundreds of forms, |
| product was trademarked as Aspirin. | | | | always has one common symptom: joint pain and |
| Arthritis comes in hundreds of individual forms, as it is | | | | stiffness. With common symptoms come common |
| a generic word for a specific type of ailment. One of | | | | cures. Canes, walkers, and braces are all simple |
| the most common forms of arthritis is called | | | | solutions that take the pressure off of an arthritic |
| Osteoarthritis (Osteo means "Relating to bones.") | | | | joint and help afflicted people move about in relative |
| This type of arthritis is also referred to as Arhrosis, | | | | freedom. Bad arthritic conditions are sometimes |
| and in more colloquial terms, "wear-and-tear arthritis." | | | | treated with corrective surgery. |
| A study in 2001 states that over 80% of the U.S. | | | | Not all arthritis is chronic and incurable, as its |
| population will show signs of Osteoarthritis by age 65. | | | | reputation lets on, and it can, nine times out of ten, |
| Osteoarthritis is the natural result of aging, though it | | | | have its progression slowed through proper diet, |
| can also occur through damage to the joints. | | | | exercise, and discretion in one's daily activities. |