Arthritis means pain and this could be anywhere in the muscles or the bones which the disease affects; the joints especially bear the brunt and are very painful. Each bone is covered with a living tissue that covers the ends of the bones and guards them from rubbing against each other; this tissue is known as the Cartilage. Cartilage functions like the other organs in the human body and is made up of living cells called Chondrocytes. New cartilage cells or chondrocytes are replaced with new ones as they die.

Over time, inflammation might kill more cartilage cells which make replacement difficult to keep up with. You will find this especially true if an injury has ever occurred or if there aren't enough of the necessary nutrients within the body to repair the joint. The joints become deformed that causes hindrance in the day to day tasks. A typical treatment of arthritis includes lifestyle changes and physical therapy. Joint replacement surgery is a last resort after health care providers have tried other less intrusive interventions to relieve the discomfort.

Arthritis is divided into two main categories, i.e. localized and generalized depending on areas affected; it is further subdivided into sub-categories. When the soft tissues that cover the bones or the joints are damaged it is considered as a localized condition and is also known as bursitis or tendonitis. A sub-category of localized arthritis affects one or some of the joints like hip or knee joints. One of the foremost sub-categories of generalized arthritis is a condition that affects muscle and soft tissue without swelling or inflammation. A common type in arthritis is Fibromyalgia and this is categorized in the main category which does not cause joint damage.

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In the second sub-group is a condition in which the person suffering from arthritis may have swelling on the whole body. Gout, Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are all related to this group. Some of the other generalized conditions are known to include: muscles or polymyositis, vasculitis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

A person can have more than one type of arthritis and it includes more than 100 medical conditions that affect approximately 46 million adults and 300,000 children in the United States. As early on as infancy, this condition can begin, even though it is most commonly seen in adults that are over the age of sixty, in the primary form of osteoarthritis. The numbers are increasing as the American population ages and more and more people are beginning to suffer from arthritis.

Medical care and indirect expenses costs over 124 billion dollars in the US where arthritis and related problems are the main cause of disability. One could avoid osteoarthritis by keeping a check on the weight and by eating fresh vegetables and fruits that contain vitamin C and Vitamin D. There should also be sufficient calcium intake, 1000-1500mg per day for adults; in addition regular, moderate exercise can help preventing sports injuries that can aggravate a condition.