Mande Smit
12 October 2019
(World arthritis day 2019)
Arthritis a common term that gets thrown into conversations when adults mention joint pain...or in fact any pain.
But. Do you really know what arthritis is? That osteoarthritis is only one small aspect of it and that children get arthritis too? Today, 12 October is world arthritis, a day of creating awareness of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).
A quick overview of Arthritis which is an umbrella term referring to joint pain or joint disease:
Arthritis can be inflammatory or non-inflammatory. The most common non-inflammatory RMD is Osteoarthritis, and the most common inflammatory RMDs is Rheumatoid arthritis, Gout, Idiopathic juvenile arthritis.
Arthritis can affect people of all ages, from young children, adolescents, young adults, adults and geriatrics.Common symptoms of arthritis include joint pain, swelling and stiffness around one or more joints, with a sudden or gradual onset.
Common risk factors include: overweight/ obese, having infection in the joints, suffering from joint injuries, having a job that requires repetitive movement of the joints and smoking.
A brief overview of the 4 most common arthritic conditions:
Osteoarthritis (OA): the most common and most prevalent form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective layer at the ends of the bones wear down (thins out) and become rough. The onset OA is most commonly gradual and worsens over time, but can also be progressively-acute in cases of injury. All joints can be affected but is most commonly found in the hips and knees. Symptoms include joint pin and stiffness especially in the mornings or after long periods of rest and swelling. Maintaining a healthy body weight and healthy active lifestyle can prevent the occurrence and severity of OA. Treatment include physical activity, weight bearing and resistance exercises along with lifestyle changes. Rheumatoid arthritis
(RA): is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory condition that results in persistent inflammation of joints- affecting synovial (joint) tissue in most commonly the hands and wrists. The inflammation, that is caused by this long term disease can also affect the surrounding tissue such as tendons, tendon sheaths and bursa. Symptoms include pain, stiffness in the morning and after periods of inactivity, joint swelling, weakness, fatigue and restricted joint mobility leading to reduced function. If RA is left untreated it can leas to severe joint deformities affecting the function, range of movement and mobility as well as having a big impact on general quality of life.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA): is the most common form of arthritis that occurs in children, where the onset is before the age of 16 years. The term “idiopathic” means that it is of unknown origin. There are 6 subtypes of JIA where systemic JIA is classified as an auto-inflammatory disease and the rest as autoimmune diseases. In normal healthy individuals the bodys’ immune system fight foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria. In people with autoimmune diseases however, the immune system does nit work properly and becomes overactive even when theres no infection to fight, and mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissue. JIA is more prevalent in girls than in boys and the onset are most commonly before the age of 8. Symptoms include joint pain, stiffness and swelling. It can be accompanied by fever, loss of movement, secondary musculoskeletal complications and may present in intervals of remission (no symptoms) and flare-ups (worsening symptoms)
Septic arthritis: is also known as infectious arthritis or joint infection. It is inflammation in the joints caused by a bacterial infection and most commonly affects the knees and hips. This bacterial infection usually occurs after an injury or surgery to/ close to the joints, but can also occurs from bacteria that travels in your bloodstream. Symptoms include severe joint pain, heat, redness and swelling. Without treatment septic arthritis can cause permanent joint damage as well as become life threatening. Treatment for septic arthritic is mainly medical treatment consisting of antibiotics.
Tips for living with Arthritis and or preventing chronic musculoskeletal conditions:
Increase your physical activity and fitness levels and abstain from a sedentary and passive lifestyle. If you are currently living a sedentary lifestyle start moving. Move more often through the day and try to sit less. For most arthritic conditions it has been proven over and over that the best treatment includes physical exercise and movement. The reason for this is simple. Your muscles are the biggest component of support for your joints. When your muscles are in a healthy condition, they are able to fulfil their role adequately in supporting the joints and allowing movements more “safely” (in terms of joint health) and your joints remain protected. Movement and activity also help to nourish joint health and decrease general pain by decreasing the stiffness and swelling of the joints caused by the inflammation.
Maintain a general healthy lifestyle. Get adequate sleep, don’t smoke, reduce alcohol intake and avoid stress…all your typical factors that leads to a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy balanced diet. For a detailed healthy eating plan/ information please visit and or consult a dietician. In short control your sugar and salt intake, avoid foods with no nutritional benefits and stay hydrated.
The theme for this years’ awareness day on 12 October is “Don’t delay, connect today”. Don’t delay with seeking help/ treatment and connect with your doctors and body today.
If you or anyone know anyone who lives with joint pain, stiffness, redness and or swelling of joints advise them to visit (preferably) a rheumatologist or any other health professional.
Early diagnosis and access to treatment can prevent further damage, reduce the burden on individuals and society and improve generalised quality of life.