Arthritis means pain and this could be anywhere in the muscles or the bones which the disease affects; the joints especially bear the brunt and are very painful. The bones are protected in the joints by tissue called cartilage which acts as a buffer between the ends. Cartilage as a living tissue behaves very much like other organs and glands and these cells are termed as Chondrocytes. The cartilage cells that are the chondrocytes are usually replaced by new cells when the old ones die.

However, over an extended period of time, the inflammation can kill more of the cartilage cells than the body is able to replace. This happens when the body is not healthy and suffers from malnutrition, injury can also be another cause. The joints become deformed that causes hindrance in the day to day tasks. Typically, arthritis is treated with medication, physical therapy, and changes to the person’s lifestyle. If an arthritis patient does not get any relief from medication and other forms of therapies then the last option they can resort to is joint replacement.
There are two main categories that arthritis can be grouped into, these categories are based on the ‘generalized’ or ‘localized’ areas of the joints or body that have been affected and then they branch off into sub-categories. When the soft tissues that cover the bones or the joints are damaged it is considered as a localized condition and is also known as bursitis or tendonitis. One of the other sub-categories of localized conditions is known to affect maybe one or two joints, like the hip or knee. One of the foremost sub-categories of generalized arthritis is a condition that affects muscle and soft tissue without swelling or inflammation. Fibromyalgia, even though it isn’t associated with joint damage, is a very common type of arthritis which can be placed under this particular category.
The second one is known to include all of the conditions that involve inflammation that affects the whole body. Other generalized conditions are polymyositis (muscles); systemic lupus erythematosus (skin, kidneys, or other organs); and vasculitis (any organ). Other generalized conditions are polymyositis (muscles); systemic lupus erythematosus (skin, kidneys, or other organs); and vasculitis (any organ).
However a person may suffer from multiple kinds of arthritis, in the United States of America around forty six million adults and abut three hundred thousand children suffer from hundred medical conditions. These conditions, though most common in adults over 60, mostly as osteoarthritis, can begin early on and even in infancy. The number of people suffering out of this condition is increasing proportionally with the increasing average age of the American population; with old age setting in people suffering with arthritis is increasing day by day.
124 billion dollars a year are spent annually on medical care and other expenses connected to arthritis and related infirmities, making it a foremost cause for disability. One could avoid osteoarthritis by keeping a check on the weight and by eating fresh vegetables and fruits that contain vitamin C and Vitamin D. Also by making sure they are getting enough calcium (adults: 1000-1500mg per day), regular exercise and to avoid injuries brought about by sports activities.