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