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Arthritis
Advice
Half of all people
age 65 and older have arthritis. There are over 100 different
forms of arthritis and many different symptoms and treatments.
We do not know what causes most forms of arthritis. Some forms
are better understood than others.
Arthritis causes
pain and loss of movement. It can affect joints in any part
of the body. Arthritis is usually chronic, meaning it can occur
over a long period of time. The more serious forms can cause
swelling, warmth, redness, and pain. The three most common kinds
of arthritis in older people are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid
arthritis, and gout.
Common Forms of
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
(OA), at one time called degenerative joint disease, is
the most common type of arthritis in older people. Symptoms
can range from stiffness and mild pain that comes and goes to
severe joint pain and even disability.
OA usually affects
the hands and the large weight-bearing joints of the body: the
knees and hips. Early in the disease, pain occurs after activity
and rest brings relief; later on, pain occurs with very little
movement, even during rest.
Scientists think
that several factors may cause OA in different joints. OA in
the hands or hips may run in families. OA in the knees is linked
with being overweight. Injuries or overuse may cause OA in joints
such as knees, hips, or hands.
Rheumatoid arthritis
(RA) can be one of the more disabling forms of arthritis.
Signs of RA often include morning stiffness, swelling in three
or more joints, swelling of the same joints on both sides of
the body (both hands, for example), and bumps (or nodules) under
the skin most commonly found near the elbow. RA can occur at
any age and affects women about three times more often than
men.
Scientists don’t
know what causes RA but think it has something to do with a
breakdown in the immune system, the body’s defense against disease.
It is also likely that people who get RA have certain inherited
traits (genes) that cause a disturbance in the immune system.
Gout occurs
most often in older men. It affects the toes, ankles, elbows,
wrists, and hands. An acute attack of gout is very painful.
Swelling may cause the skin to pull tightly around the joint
and make the area red or purple and very tender. Medicines can
stop gout attacks, as well as prevent further attacks and damage
to the joints.
Treatments
Treatments for arthritis
work to reduce pain and swelling, keep joints moving safely,
and avoid further damage to joints. Treatments include medicines,
special exercise, use of heat or cold, weight control, and surgery.
Medicines
help relieve pain and reduce swelling. Acetaminophen or ACT
should be the first drug used to control pain in patients with
osteoarthritis (OA). Patients with OA who don’t respond to ACT
and patients with RA and gout are most commonly treated with
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. People
taking medicine for any form of arthritis should limit the amount
of alcohol they drink. (For more information, see the Age
Page "Arthritis Medicines.")
Exercise,
such as a daily walk or swim, helps keep joints moving, reduces
pain, and strengthens muscles around the joints. Rest is also
important for the joints affected by arthritis. Physical therapists
can develop personal programs that balance exercise and rest.
Many people find
that soaking in a warm bath, swimming in a heated pool, or applying
heat or cold to the area around the joint helps reduce pain.
Controlling or losing weight can reduce the stress on
joints and can help avoid further damage.
When damage to the
joints becomes disabling or when other treatments fail to reduce
pain, your doctor may suggest surgery. Surgeons can repair
or replace damaged joints with artificial ones. The most common
operations are hip and knee replacements.
Unproven Remedies
Arthritis symptoms
may go away by themselves but then come back weeks, months,
or years later. This may be why many people with arthritis try
quack cures or remedies that have not been proven instead of
getting medical help. Some of these remedies, such as snake
venom, are harmful. Others, such as copper bracelets, are harmless
but also useless. The safety of many quack cures is unknown.
Here are some tipoffs
that a remedy may be unproven: claims that a treatment like
a lotion or cream works for all types of arthritis and other
diseases too; scientific support comes from only one research
study; or the label has no directions for use or warnings about
side effects.
Common Warning
Signs of Arthritis
- Swelling in one
or more joint(s)
- Morning stiffness
lasting 30 minutes or longer
- Joint pain or
tenderness that is constant or that comes and goes
- Not being able
to move a joint in the normal way
- Redness or warmth
in a joint
- Weight loss, fever,
or weakness and joint pain that can’t be explained
If any one of these
symptoms lasts longer than 2 weeks, see your regular doctor
or a doctor who specializes in arthritis (a rheumatologist).
The doctor will ask questions about the history of your symptoms
and do a physical exam. The doctor may take x-rays or do lab
tests before developing a treatment plan.
Resources
For more information
on arthritis contact:
National Institute
of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Building 31, Room 4C05
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 496-8188
The Arthritis Foundation
P.O. Box 19000
Atlanta, GA 30325
(800) 283-7800
For a list of free
publications from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), contact
the NIA Information Center, P.O. Box 8057, Gaithersburg, MD
20898-8057; 1-800-222-2225;
(1-800-222-4225 TTY);
e-mail:niainfo@access.digex.net
National
Institute on Aging
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
1996
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