BIG PAINS, BIG PROBLEM

The term arthritis refers to a specific inflammation of the joints when used by medical professionals.  But in general, the term covers more than 100 diseases and conditions that can impact your joints, the tissues surrounding the joints, and other connective tissues.

More than 52 million adults over age 18 have been diagnosed by a doctor with arthritis. This doesn’t include the long-term care people or the elderly who are in long-term facilities. Older adults are more prone to arthritis than the young, with close to 50 percent of people over age 65 having some symptoms of the affliction. Slightly more than 30 percent of people ages 45 to 64 are afflicted with arthritis while those ages 18 to 44 account for 7 percent of the population afflicted.

Females of any age account for slightly more cases of arthritis than men, with 26 percent of women having symptoms versus 19 percent of men. When measuring by ethnicity, Non-Hispanic whites and blacks and American Indian/Alaska natives have the most incidents of arthritis, all roughly in the early to mid-20 percent range. Hispanics have slightly over 15 percent of their population afflicted with arthritis symptoms, while Asian/Pacific Islanders have about 10 percent of the population with arthritis symptoms.

3 MOST COMMON TYPES OF ARTHRITIS

The three general types of arthritis that afflict people most often include:

1.    Osteoarthritis – This is the wear and tear from overuse of certain joints. This can be a function of age and activity, or can be the result of obesity stressing the joints or a prior injury. The cartilage wears away at the end of the bones in this form, making movement painful as the cushion retreats.