Arthritis

Arthritis is a joint disorder involving inflammation of one or more joints.

There are over 100 different forms of arthritis, the most common form being osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease caused by trauma, age or infection of the joints). Other forms of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout and septic arthritis.

The main signs and symptoms of arthritis are swelling and pain associated with one or more joints. Most patients complain of pain in the joints before swelling is visible, with both the pain and swelling becoming progressively worse if left untreated. Different forms of arthritis require different treatments, and many forms of arthritis are irreversible with treatment focusing on pain management.