An Excerpt from "Arthritis: Keeping Your Joints Healthy"

Your joints: you’ve probably taken them for granted for decades. When they’re working smoothly, they demand little attention. But once they begin to ache, they take center stage. Arthritis, a painful affliction of the joints, often begins subtly with a little aching and stiffness. Or it may arrive with a dramatic flourish, announcing its presence with swollen joints and attention-grabbing pain. It may only affect the joints or have many other symptoms.

Arthritis is the most common chronic disease in the world, and in the United States it’s the most common cause of disability. Arthritis, in one or more of its many forms, affects about 40 million people in the United States. That’s close to 1 in every 6 people.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which affect, respectively, 21 million and 2 million people in the United States. But more than 100 separate disorders can cause arthritis. Other forms of arthritis covered in this report include ankylosing spondylitis (arthritis of the spine) and several forms of reactive arthritis, which occur secondarily, in response to an existing inflammatory condition.

The biological mechanisms that result in joint inflammation are the subject of intense research that has led, in the past year or two, to the first drugs specifically designed to interrupt those mechanisms. For example, new drugs have brought significant relief to rheumatoid arthritis patients, although not without some potentially dangerous side effects. Better drugs with fewer side effects are also available for treating the pain of osteoarthritis.

This report describes how arthritis affects the joints and other structures. It explains how arthritic joints are diagnosed and treated, and it discusses how to minimize the impact of the disease through self-help measures. You will also learn about new research that may help slow the progression of osteoarthritis. For patients with more advanced osteoarthritis, this report examines the underlying structural problems associated with osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, and hand, and it discusses special exercises and surgical treatment options for each.

In addition, this report helps you weigh the evidence on pain relievers and other products including glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. But living with arthritis requires more than drugs. Specialized exercises and lifestyle changes can help anyone with arthritis live a more active and pain-free life. In terms of prevention, no sure-fire program exists. But you and your physician can slow the progression with a timely diagnosis and by beginning treatment right away. You can improve your day-to-day life through a combination of sensible exercise and work routines, physical therapy, weight reduction, and by making some minor modifications in your home.

Millions of people live with arthritis. Medical research, new drugs, improvements in surgical treatment, and an active role in the control and treatment of your condition can help you be one of the growing number of arthritis patients who live well.