| Arthritis is known to affect around forty | | | | predominantly those of 'Rheumatoid Arthritis' |
| percent of the Americans and over fifty | | | | which can occur at any age and |
| percent of the people globally. This is one | | | | 'Osteoarthritis ' which usually occurs after |
| disease that is responsible for the maximum | | | | sixty years of age. |
| amount of pain worldwide and thousands of | | | | |
| dollars have been spent on pain relief | | | | Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is |
| medications because of this. | | | | known to occur due to a disorder of the |
| | | | immune system and usually continues |
| Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases known | | | | throughout life with periods of remission |
| to mankind which could date back to thousands | | | | (characterized by total absence of disease |
| of years - in fact the Romans were believed | | | | symptoms) and exacerbation (with increasing |
| to have built the roman baths for therapeutic | | | | severity of disease). The disease is known to |
| reasons other than hygiene - as the hot water | | | | occur more often in women as compared to men. |
| baths were used by ancient Romans to ease the | | | | |
| pains associated with arthritis. | | | | Arthritis is known to present in a variety of |
| | | | ways such as some arthritic conditions are |
| The word 'arthritis' is a blend of the | | | | chronic while others are intermittent such as |
| ancient Greek word 'arthron' which translated | | | | Gout. The arthritic conditions are either |
| literally means 'joint' and the word 'it is' | | | | inflammatory or degenerative. The |
| which means inflammation - the disease being | | | | inflammatory form of arthritis is |
| inflammation of the joint. | | | | characterized by the presence of swelling, |
| | | | redness and warmth of the involved joints |
| Arthritis is an autoimmune disease disorder, | | | | while the degenerative form of arthritis is |
| which causes inflammation, pain and stiffness | | | | best identified as having a small element of |
| of the joints and connective tissues. This | | | | inflammation and being predominantly |
| may be accompanied by redness, swelling and | | | | degenerative - which is best known for the |
| warmth of the joints, which are medically | | | | wearing out of the cartilages lining the |
| identified as signs of inflammation of the | | | | joints. |
| joints. | | | | |
| | | | Simply put, arthritis can be defines as any |
| Connective tissues are a set of supporting | | | | inflammation of the joint and could either be |
| tissues for the joints - typical examples of | | | | chronic or short term in duration. There is |
| connective tissue being - cartilages, | | | | no simple cure for arthritis, however there |
| tendons, ligaments and muscles. Arthritis is | | | | are many natural remedies available which can |
| a wide spectrum of disease conditions that | | | | ease the severity of arthritis symptoms and |
| include well over one hundred diseases - | | | | effect a repair on cartilage. |