There are over 200 kinds of rheumatic diseases; the word means aches and pains in joints, bones and muscles. The most common forms are; osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
There are over 9,000,000 sufferers in the UK alone, of which about 12,000 are children under 16. Childhood arthritis comes under the heading of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and under the various types of arthritis those followed by the JIA suffix are childhood types.
Most people have heard about arthritis, but few know much about it. Arthritis affects people as individuals, it cannot be cured, and it accounts for around one in five visits to a GP. Being diagnosed with arthritis will raise many concerns but rest assured that many types of treatments are available; ways of coping; how to get help; and how to develop skills to manage your own condition.
Most commonly, people with arthritis experience pain and immobility. The type you have will determine how you are
affected, sometimes arthritis can get better on its own, or go away for varying periods of time. In the early stages
your doctor might not be able to say how you will be
affected.
Most will suffer discomfort, pain, stiffness, frustration,
fatigue and maybe some physical impairment. If you have
led an active life this may be hard to accept, but you will
need to adapt, and you can.
People experience pain differently and everyone may not
react to particular treatments in the same way so your
arthritis will be individual to you.
Osteoarthritis (OA) usually develops over a number of years and may affect one or more joints. The cause is as yet unknown, but joints commonly affected are the knee, hip, hands, feet and spine. In osteoarthritis cartilage becomes pitted and rough, the bone thickens and broadens out, and bony outgrowths (osteophytes) may form making the joint look knobbly. Treatments include various painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) where inflammation is present.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease mainly affecting joints and tendons. It may be acute onset or develop more slowly and gradual onset RA is much more difficult to diagnose. Morning stiffness and painful, hot and swollen joints are typical features. Blood tests will confirm diagnoses and you should be referred to a rheumatologist. The main objective will be to reduce the inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). If neither of these works for you there is a newer class of drug; anti-tumour necrosis factor known as anti-TNF, but the use of these is governed by strict guidelines and they are not suitable in all cases.
