Patient Education: Arthritis

What is Arthritis?

The word arthritis comes from two words: “arthros” which means “joint” and “itis” which means “inflammation”. Therefore, arthritis is a general term used to describe the inflammation in and/or around the joints. A joint is an area where two bones meet (i.e. the wrist, elbow, knee, and ankle). The ends of the bones are padded with a thin protective coating (cartilage) that can be easily damaged and/or worn through. When the bone moves in a joint where the cartilage surface is worn out, the bones rub against one another and a sensation of pain can arise.

Although arthritis primarily affects more women than men and people over the age of 45 (especially those over the age of 65), people of both sexes and of all races, ages, geographic areas, and socioeconomic levels can experience some type of arthritis.

Fortunately, effective treatment is available in most cases, but the cause of most forms of arthritis is not known. It is believed that many are a result of a combination of factors such as history of the disease, lack or overuse/abuse of a particular joint, being overweight, and/or a virus.

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