Basic Science Of Arthritis

Latest Articles

Arthritis In Dogs - Tips To Prevent This Crippling Canine Disease
Arthritis is a general term for abnormal changes to a joint. Arthritis can occur when joint tissue is damaged from an infection, from congenital defects that affect the structural integrity and from stress and trauma to joint surfaces and...

Osteoarthritis - Can You Fight It?
You Can Fight Osteoarthritis If you think you may have osteoarthritis, the best thing you can do for yourself is to take a pro-active role in your health. You should see your primary care physician as soon as possible. He or she can use x-rays to...

Remicade: Doctor, I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I Want to Know More About Remicade
TNF alpha is a protein that is produced during the inflammatory response. It both starts as well as perpetuates inflammation. Increased levels of TNF are found in several inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis,...

Basic Science Of Arthritis

Joints can handle some heavy pressure. For example, knees handle a force of three to four times a person's total body weight on average just talking a walk. The force of a deep knee bend during a squat can increase to nine times the body weight. So just imagine multiplying weight of more than 150 pounds times a minimum of three or four, and then even more. That can sure add up to a lot of heavy work on knee joints over time.

Now for the science of this scenario. Where two bones meet, called the joint, the bone ends are covered with cartilage, also known as gristle. This cartilage is sturdy, elastic and spongy or compressible, and keeps the bones from moving against each other at the joint. The cells of this cartilage, called chondrocytes, are thought to be the longest living cells of the body.

Surrounding the bones and cartilage is strong, fibrous capsule lined with synovium, a thin membrane that lubricates the joint area with fluid. The end result is less friction or smoother rubbing together of the bones. This fluid also feds the cartilage cells, keeping them healthy, and is 'pumped' into them during joint movement. Thus lack of movement (activity / exercise) can be unhealthy.

Other parts of the body features involved with this arthritic scenario include muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursea and mental activity. Muscles, attached to bones with tendons and ligaments, move bones by contracting. They also cushion movement, absorbing impact or shock. Throughout the muscle and tendon areas are bursae or sacs filled with fluid. These also help cushion movement. And throughout all the coordination of these parts during movement, the brain is a part. The

brain communicates via nerves throughout the body, in particular the muscles for this scenario, to prepare joints for activity.

The exact science of what actually causes arthritis is still being researched. For most of the 100-plus forms of arthritis, the causes are unknown. Injury, overuse of joints and mechanical issues with joints (like skeletal abnormalities, worn out joint muscles) can lead to arthritis. And many point to issues relating to bacteria and germs as some of the problem. Heredity, stress, drugs, food allergies and viruses have also been linked to some forms of arthritis. So have diet, poor circulation and lack of movement.

Inflammation

Arthritic joints can be affected with inflammation when bacteria or a virus (or other undesirable element) enters the joint area or when an injury occurs. What happens is when foreign matter enters this area or the area sustains injury, white blood cells, antibodies and other natural 'fighting' mechanisms automatically kick in internally to help. These fighters cause swelling, redness and heat as the body fluid moves around. Symptoms of inflammation, one of the uncomfortable issues associated with arthritis, are redness, swelling and tender joints.

About the Author : Kirsten Hawkins is a health writer from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.selfimprovement411.com/ for more great self-improvement tips, strategies, and resources. Source: www.isnare.com
Written By: Kirsten Hawkins

IMPORTANT: Bing News RSS feed has moved!
<table bgColor="#ffffbb" border="1px"><td>Go to the <a href="http://api.bing.com/rss.aspx?Source=News&Market=en-US&Version=2.0&Query=Arthritis">new RSS page</a> and renew your subscription.</td></table>

Alternative Therapies Offer
An estimated 50 million Americans are living with

Benitec Biopharma and Medistem Technologies Successfully Combined in Preclinical Stem Cell Therapy for Rheumatoid
Benitec Biopharma (ASX: BLT) and Medistem (PINKSHEETS: MEDS) announced today the successful treatment of rheumatoid

Ultrasound makes
Ultrasound is transforming the way

Too many rheumatoid
More than 40 percent of rheumatoid

Tobacco Use And Rheumatoid

Link between poor neighbourhoods and risk of
People living in poor neighbourhoods have a higher rate and risk of