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In general, arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of the joints. It is a collective term that comprises of more than 100 types of currently known arthritis.
Each can be quite different from one another. It can be by how they affect the joints that result in the inflammation or what triggers it. Therefore, one type of treatment doesn’t necessarily work for all types of arthritis.
You can consult a specialist to identify the type of condition you have and be treated with the right kind of arthritis medication. When choosing a type of massage for arthritis, moderate pressure is key, because it stimulates pressure receptors under the skin that convey signals to the brain that alleviate pain and stress-reducing neurochemicals like serotonin, says Tiffany Field, PhD, a research psychologist at the University of Miami Medical School. Any type of full-body massage therapy that involves moderate pressure, including self-massage, should help relieve arthritis pain and ease tension, she says.
Though chances are, you will most likely be diagnosed with one of the five most common types of arthritis. Here they are and what you should expect.
Osteoarthritis
As per arthritis organisation, the most common type of arthritis happens when the cartilage covering the joints is lacking or absent. As a result, bones are directly grinding on one another, resulting in pain and discomfort.
It can be characterized by either a grinding or popping sound on the joins that are accompanied by sharp pain. As your condition worsens, further inflammation can result in redness and swelling.
The degradation of the cartilage can be caused by a variety of factors, including heredity, obesity, injury, joint overuse, and diseases. However, the condition is common among the elderly because of the natural degradation of the cartilage.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
This disease is autoimmune, which means that the immune system attacks the healthy cells of the body by mistake. In this case, it is joint tissue that leads to pain and inflammation of the joints.
It is usually diagnosed with the help of a blood test. However, diagnosis only helps in controlling the symptoms and preventing further bodily damage. There is no cure since it is the body’s immune system in question and the specific reason for the triggers is known.
In most cases, the affected joints are on the same side of the body. It mainly happens on the hands, wrists, and knees. In extreme cases, there can be observable deformity as a result of the condition.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that results in red patches of the skin accompanied by scales. It happens when the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells. In this case, the condition can reach the joints which leads to arthritis.
People with psoriasis tend to develop psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms of arthritis can also manifest before psoriasis.
There is no known cause or trigger of this phenomenon, so there is no cure, only to alleviate the symptoms and possible complications that would result.
Fibromyalgia
Around 10 to 20% of people who have rheumatoid arthritis also have fibromyalgia. It is a musculoskeletal condition that can cause pain all over the body.
While RA is considered autoimmune, fibromyalgia isn’t. Instead, it is a chronic condition that is diagnosed mainly with a family history with the assistance of bloodwork and X-rays.
Other than pain in the joints, symptoms can also manifest in different aspects such as fatigue, depression, sleep problems, and headaches.
Gouty Arthritis
If you have heard about Gout, Gouty Arthritis isn’t too far off. Instead, it is one of the several complications of the condition.
Gout is when there is the formation of urate crystals in body tissues. These crystals usually deposit on the joints which results in swelling. As it worsens, the joints are further pushed out of position leading to more pain. In most cases, it happens on the big toe, but it generally targets almost every lower extremity.
Just like the other types of arthritis on this list, there is no cure for it. Instead, the symptoms can be treated and controlled with medication, along with the assistance of staying away from certain foods. Uric acid and uric crystals are produced when the body breaks down purines which can be abundantly found in fish, red meat, and alcoholic beverages, among many others.
While arthritis can be a controlling disease, preventing you from living a normal life, there are ways to control it. In most cases, it can go into remission, making you forget that you even had the disease in the first place.
For that to happen, the first step is always a diagnosis. Understanding that there is more than one type of arthritis and it can happen at any age and physical condition makes it easier to accept the possibility of having it.