Arthritis: It's a pain in the ass (well not really)

What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition in which your joints become damaged or worn out. Arthritis can happen to anyone and presents itself in 140 different ways with the most common being osteoarthritis, gout arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile arthritis which is found in young children.

The joints
The joints are where the ends of two of your bones meet. The cartilage covers the ends of your bones which prevent the bones from rubbing against each other. The synovial membrane produces synovial fluid which keeps the cartilage lubricated allowing the two bones move easily. The ligament holds the two bones together. Joints are commonly found in your elbows, knees, wrist/ankles, fingers/toes, etc. Arthritis appears when the joints become infected, damaged, inflamed, or they stiffen.

Different types of arthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and occurs when the cartilage becomes worn out or infected due to excessive exercise, very little exercise, excess weight, and aging. Symptoms of osteoarthritis include swelling around the joint, stiffness from moving after sitting down for a while, pain in joints when moving or resting, weakness in the muscles, painful cracking when moving joints, and bony swellings know as bony growths. Treatments vary depending on what happened to cause the osteoarthritis to appear but most treatments involve painkillers, gels/sprays, walking aids (walking sticks, etc), specific exercise routines, and, occasionally, weight loss.

Gout arthritis 

Gout arthritis occurs when your blood contains uric acid. Uric acid comes from a protein called purines which are come from food. Usually uric acid passes through your body but if you are overweight, take certain medication, eat too much food that contain purines, or have kidney problems, the uric acid builds up. The acid then turns into sharp needle-like crystals that cause immense pain in the joints and damages the cartilage. Symptoms of gout arthritis include sudden joint pains which can last up to 7 days, lumps growing on elbows, hands, knees and feet, or painful and stiff joints. Treatments for gout include medicine to lower you uric acid, pain relievers, swelling relievers, healthy eating, lowering alcohol consumption, or even a change of footwear.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is cause when the body's immune system attacks the synovial liquid in your joints causing it too thicken, therefore causing the joints to stiffen. This causes inflammation and swelling around the joints. Rheumatoid symptoms include swelling,stiffness, joints feeling hot and painful, fever, fatigue, weight loss, and decreased appetite. Treatment for rheumatoid is similar to those of the other two; exercise, healthy eating, medication, and joint protection (comfortable shoes, etc). Surgery is also a option for those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (J.I.A)

J.I.A is a form of arthritis similar to that of rheumatoid arthritis. The immune system mistakes healthy tissue in the joints for unhealthy tissue, this results in pain and swelling. J.I.A is found in children and teens under the age of 16, hence the name containing the word juvenile. There are two types of J.I.A which are Oligoarthritis, when up to four joints are infected, and Polyarticular, when 5 or more joints. Symptoms include skin rashes, joint pain, swelling, stiffness,fatigue, fevers, weight loss, smaller appetite, tenderness, and general feeling of being unwell. Treatments are similar to those of the above three.

Common Myths about arthritis

Joint Pains = Arthritis

A common myth is that any type of joint pain is arthritis which is false. There are many other conditions in which there is damage to soft tissue such as tendonitis, bursitis, and various others.

Popping knuckles increases your chance of arthritis
Although arthritis can happen for various reasons, popping/cracking your knuckles is not one of them. The reason your joints make a popping sound is because when you pull your bones, by either stretching or cracking them, bubbles in the synovial fluid pop. This is doesn't increase your chance of arthritis but it can still damage your hands. Chronic cracking of knuckles may lead to weaker grip strength and there have also been two published reports of people getting injured by attempting to crack their knuckles.

You need to rest if you begin to have joint pains
Although joint pain commonly occurs due to overexercising it can also occur when you don't exercise enough. You joints become stiff if you don't exercise and lie around quite often. Even if you do acquire joint pains due to overexercising it's still suggested you continue exercising just, not as extreme. If you do experience joint pains it is suggested that you see your doctor instead of taking advice from friends and family.

Your diet doesn't affect you arthritis
Your diet plays a part in everything you do and arthritis is no exception. If you read the part about gout arthritis you may remember that uric acid (the cause of gout arthritis) enters the body via food (shellfish, animal organs such as liver, bacon, scallop, etc). Alcohol also affects your arthritis. Of course I should also clarify that your diet mostly affects those with rheumatoid arthritis. If you are worried about your diet and it increasing your chance of arthritis then I would suggest seeing a doctor instead of asking google or reading a 14 year old's blog.

Arthritis only occurs in elderly people
If you have made it this far and you have common sense then you would know this is a myth. Arthritis can happen to anyone although there are people who are more likely to get it (eg: genetics, obesity, age, working conditions, etc.) it really can happen to anyone.

Of course there are many other myths but these seem to be the most common.

Main sources

Health Navigator: https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/a/arthritis/
Arthritis New Zealand: https://www.arthritis.org.nz/information/forms-of-arthritis/
OrthoInfo: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/arthritis-an-overview/

Minor sources

Harvard Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis

Health Essentials: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/six-myths-about-joint-pain-and-arthritis/

Arthritis Foundation: http://blog.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-myths-facts/