Types of Arthritis

Types list: The list of types of Arthritis mentioned in various sources includes:

Osteoarthritis - most common type occurring with aging and "wear-and-tear".
Rheumatoid arthritis - second most common type; not caused by aging.
Psoriatic arthritis - occurring with psoriasis
Infectious arthritis
- Gonococcal arthritis - caused by gonorrhea
- Parvovirus arthritis - caused by parvovirus
Reactive arthritis - occurring after an infection.
Reiter’s syndrome
Gout

Types discussion: There are over 100 forms of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. These diseases may cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints and other supporting structures of the body such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Some forms can also affect other parts of the body, including various internal organs.

Many people use the word "arthritis" to refer to all rheumatic diseases. However, the word literally means joint inflammation; that is, swelling, redness, heat, and pain caused by tissue injury or disease in the joint. The many different kinds of arthritis comprise just a portion of the rheumatic diseases. Some rheumatic diseases are described as connective tissue diseases because they affect the body's connective tissue--the supporting framework of the body and its internal organs. Others are known as autoimmune diseases because they are caused by a problem in which the immune system harms the body's own healthy tissues. Examples of some rheumatic diseases are:

Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Fibromyalgia
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Scleroderma
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Gout

Millions of Americans suffer from arthritic conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout. These disorders are characterized by joint pain in the extremities. Many other inflammatory diseases affect the body's soft tissues, including tendonitis and bursitis. ²

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, affecting more than 16 million Americans. This degenerative joint disease is common in people over 65, but may appear decades earlier. Rheumatoid arthritis, which affects 2.5 million Americans, can strike at any age, but usually appears between ages 20 and 50. ³

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Questions and Answers about Arthritis and Exercise: NIAMS
2. excerpt from Pain - Hope Through Research: NINDS
3. excerpt from Arthritis: NWHIC

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