You may notice stiffness in your joints and wonder if it is arthritis. Joints are the areas of where your bones meet such as the areas in your knees and elbows. If you have arthritis, you may experience other arthritis symptoms such as swelling in your joints, redness, pain and decrease of range of motion.

There is More than One Type of Arthritis.

Most types of arthritis have the signature swelling and stiffness in the joints. However, they have different symptoms and signs. Your family medicine ocean city md doctor will determine if you have arthritis. The following are various types of arthritis:

Autoimmune arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system fights the healthy cells in the body.

Osteoarthritis: This is the most common form of arthritis. It is caused by injury or age.
Infectious arthritis: Infectious arthritis develops because of an infection that spreads from one part of the body to the joint area.

Gout: Gout is painful, and it develops because of a uric acid buildup in the body. It often develops in the big toe first.

Psoriatic arthritis: Psoriasis, a skin disease that causes patches of thick, read skin or itches, can also have arthritis symptoms. These symptoms include joint pain and stiffness.

Juvenile arthritis: This is arthritis that targets children.

Risk Factors of Developing Arthritis.

Arthritis is a medical condition that can be inherited. You can also be at risk for developing the medical condition too. For instance, your age can put you at risk for developing various types of arthritis such as gout, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Gender is another risk factor. Women are more likely to develop the medical condition, than men.

Being overweight is a huge risk of developing arthritis. Having additional pounds places more pressure on the joints in the knees, hips and spine. A previous joint injury can also increase the risk of developing arthritis. People who have injured a joint while playing sports.

Ways to Obtain Relief from Arthritis Symptoms.  

If you have arthritis, your doctor will determine the best course of treatment for the condition. They may suggest medicine and natural remedies to relieve the joint pain and other symptoms. For instance, the use of cold and hot therapy can stop some of the symptoms from becoming worse. For instance, warm, long showers can relieve the joint stiffness. Cold treatment is best relieving the pain, swelling and inflammation associated with arthritis.

Try a massage. Regular massages of joints can assist in reducing the arthritis symptoms such as stiffness and pain. It may also increase the range of motion in your joints. To help with flexibility in your joints, exercise is a great way to get relief from arthritis. Weight-bearing exercises like running can damage joints. Instead, try low-impact exercises like swimming. This way you work those joint without damaging them.

You may be scared that you may have arthritis. However, the most proactive thing is to stop wondering and make a doctor’s appointment.