The word arthritis means a swelling of the body joints, but not all arthritis involves swelling. In the type of arthritis known as rheumatism, the joints do swell up and eat into the cartilage that surrounds them.
Since this cartilage acts as a sort of “shock absorber” around the joint, the loss of cartilage and of certain minerals in the bones results in a stiff joint, which makes movement painful.
The kind of arthritis that older people often get is known as degenerative, and is different. It is simply a product of old age. In this disease, the cartilage around the joint wears away, and the bones underneath the cartilage then come in contact with one another, producing pain whenever the joint moves.
While scientists know the causes of degenerative arthritis, they still aren’t sure what causes rheumatism.
Related Posts
-
What Happens When You Crack Your Knuckles, What Causes the Sound, and Does It Cause Arthritis?
The bones and the series of ligaments that form the knuckles and many other joints have a little elasticity. In cracking a joint, what basically happens is that you separate the two bones…
-
Why Do My Knees and Joints Hurt Before It Rains and How Does the Weather Affect Arthritis Pain?
Plenty of studies have looked at pain associated with the weather, especially in people suffering from arthritis. These show that there is a real effect, but oddly there has been little research into…
