What is Arthritis? – Focus on Seniors

There is a general tendency to think of arthritis as a condition of old age. But is it? So, what is arthritis?

It is a condition where the joint of a person or animal such as the knee, elbow, fingers becomes damaged causing difficulty and pain with movement.

Arthritis can however affect anyone of any age, gender, or race and surprisingly even babies as young as age six months can develop an arthritic condition although It is generally more common in older people.

This article reviews some common forms of arthritis in seniors.

Arthritis 101

Cause of Arthritis Pain

Arthritis means inflammation of bone joints. It causes pain, swelling, and stiffness.

A joint is a space between two bones, usually filled with a shock absorber-like layer of cartilage and connective tissue which allows for flexibility and ease of joint movement.

As many people age, the cartilage layer can become thin and frayed over time due to “wear and tear”.

This is understandable because bone movement grinding over the cartilage layer has been going on continuously since birth.

Consequently, the joints may start to feel stiff because the “shock absorber” layer of cartilage and connective tissue become thinner and thinner making movement more difficult and uncomfortable.

What is Arthritis? – How it Develops

Further progression of this thinning may now cause the bones to start to rub against each other, This can cause considerable and sometimes excruciating pain.

Many seniors may begin to experience early signs of arthritis somewhere between age 50 and 60 which is why arthritis is often associated with aging.

According to Wikipedia, there are more than 100 different kinds of arthritis. The four most common kinds encountered in seniors and the elderly are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and psoriatic arthritis.

Now that you have a basic understanding of arthritis, continue reading BUT, make an appointment with your doctor or healthcare professional if you have any persistent discomfort and swelling in your joints.

Osteoarthritis

This is the most common type of arthritis. It is localized and characterized by joint pain in the commonly used weight-bearing areas of the body such as your hips, knees, feet, and spine.

While it can also affect the joints of your fingers and thumb and the joint at the base of your big toe, this condition is usually related to the natural “wear and tear” on the joints over time more common in older adults.

The “wear and tear” motion causes a thinning of the cushioning cartilage between the bones and can result in inflammation, discomfort, and pain. Specialized orthotics, osteoarthritis shoes, or custom orthopedic shoes can however provide some relief.

Generally, osteoarthritis does not affect children, but it can develop at any age following sports injuries and broken bones.

What are the Risks for Osteoarthritis?

Risk factors for osteoarthritis are age, sex, obesity, smoking, trauma and genetics.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis, although the pain can be effectively managed through the use of knee braces, memory foam osteoarthritis shoes, use of foot massagers and joint supplements.

Genetics and Weight play a key role.

Weight

Obesity is widely acknowledged as a risk factor for both occurrence and progression of osteoarthritis. Losing at least 10 % of body weight, along with exercise, is recognized as a cornerstone in the management of obese patients with osteoarthritis.

This scan significantly improve symptoms, pain relief, physical function and health-related quality of life.

If you are obese, the extra weight can stress your joints and create arthritis pain. A good healthy weight, exercising and eating right help manage the condition (Bliddal et al 2014).

Genetics

This plays an important role in the development of arthritis. Unfortunately, since these were the genes you inherited from your mother and father, there is nothing you can do to change this!

However, a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of arthritic conditions in your body before it develops. You probably wish you knew this a while back, nevertheless, a healthy lifestyle does wonders at any age!

Women are more at risk than men for getting different kinds of arthritis pain, probably because of the physiological changes they experience.

African Americans are more likely to develop lupus (a form of arthritis) while Caucasians have a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Lupus is two to three times more prevalent among women of color—African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders—than among Caucasian women.

A Lupus Foundation of America funded study found that overall, lupus was among the top 20 leading causes of death in females ages 5-64 ((National Resource Center on Lupus 2016). 

Common Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

• Inability to move a joint the normal way
• Joint pain or tenderness that is constant or that comes and goes
• Unexplainable weakness and joint pain – You just don’t feel right
• Morning stiffness lasting 30 minutes or less

Managing Osteoarthritis

Although there are lots of products you can buy to manage arthritis – joint wraps, foot wraps, specialized shoes and braces, however, not all gel packs and braces are of similar quality and durability.

I have tried some of them and find that cheap is not always the best, neither is super expensive! Comfort and durability should be the criteria used to select a product that is affordable, suits your budget, and that will not fall apart or slacken after a few uses.

Some of the more popular products are identified here.

Comfort Products

To give you an idea of some of these arthritis comfort product wraps for the joint, foot and neck CHECK the images below for more details and prices:

Joint Supplements

There are several joint supplements (refer to a previous article "The Causes of Osteoporosis - Am I A High Risk?") in the market, many of which claim to be the ultimate solution to joint pain.

Several of them do not work efficiently for a variety of reasons. Some contain cheap synthetic fillers to cut costs so their manufacturer can market cheaper products.

On a cautionary note, it is highly recommended that you consult with your doctor or healthcare provider before embarking on the use of supplements as they may suggest that you initially start with pain relievers.

Before researching for this article, a survey of a cross-section of senior citizens found that many brands of joint supplements did not meet the manufacturer claims.

Surprisingly, some of these same seniors however claimed to find some relief from what other seniors in the survey had called "ineffective brands".

Potential Reasons Why Joint Supplements May be Ineffective

The question is Why? Consumer Health (2020) and Arnow (2012) provide some scientific insight which are summarized below:

(a). Joint supplements usually contain most - if not all the following essential ingredients - Glucosamine, Chondroitin sulfate, Boswellia Extract, Turmeric, Bromelain, Quercetin, Methionine and MSM

(b). Before purchasing a product, check to see that it does not have binders, fillers and artificial colors.

(c). Check the manufacturers guarantee. A 90-day stress free money back guarantee - at the minimum shows some level of the integrity of the product

(d). Additional research also revealed that Vitamins C & D, Omega 3 Fish oil and CMO - a natural fatty acid are beneficial for joint health. We will explore this further in a future article.

(e). This final bullet point IS JUST MY THOUGHT. Perhaps the degree of inflammation and severity of the cartilage damage in the joint occurring in different individuals may also be contributing factors.

What is Arthritis? - Rheumatoid Arthritis

RA called Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease typified by a chronic inflammatory disorder. It is called the "confused immune" effect because the body attacks its own body tissue and the condition can appear anywhere over the body.

This can also develop across a very wide spectrum of individuals - babies, older children, menopausal women, seniors, and the elderly.

The condition tends to affect the smaller joints first in the early stages - especially the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet. As it progresses, symptoms commonly affect the hands, wrists, ankles, shoulders, and knees.

It affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity. Symptoms can be gradual or appear suddenly.

Note, symptoms can differ in severity and can come ("flare") and go ("remission"). Some people also experience lumps on the skin called rheumatoid nodules.

Care Products

The care products shown below include compression and easy grip gloves which provide relief to stiff hands and fingers.

Risks of Rheumatoid Arthritis

People with RA are also at a higher risk for developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The condition can begin at any age, but the likelihood increases with age.

The onset of RA is highest among adults in their 60s, and new cases of RA are typically 50-60% higher in women than men (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 2020).

There is no known cause for rheumatoid arthritis and the swelling and inflammation can damage a wide range of organs - skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels (AOTC 2017), and because the condition is systemic, it usually develops along with a high fever and rashes.

The strange thing about rheumatoid arthritis is that between 40-50% of people affected also experience signs and symptoms that do not involve the joints.

These include the eyes, heart, kidneys, salivary glands, bone marrow, lungs, skin, nerve tissues and blood vessels (Mayo Clinic 2019, Pietrangelo 2020).

Common Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Fatigue
• Fever and loss of appetite.
• Early morning stiffness in the joints or following periods of inactivity
• Swollen joints that feel tender to the touch
• Decrease in the range of motion
• Numbness and tingling due to pressure on the nerves
• Squeaking of the joints (Petriangelo 2020)

You can do some simple home stretches to strengthen creaky joints. Try out these exercises to prevent arthritis pain.

What is Arthritis Pain? - Gout

It is defined in Wikipedia as a form of inflammatory arthritis that causes recurring attacks of a red, tender, hot, and swollen joint. In most cases, it affects the joint at the base of the big toe. An attack of gout can come on quite suddenly, with the throbbing pain quickly reaching maximal intensity in less than 12 hours.

Older males are more commonly affected. Gout occurs more commonly in those who regularly drink beer, sugar-sweetened beverages or who eat foods such as shellfish, anchovies or liver (all high in purines), or who are overweight.

It affects about 1 to 2% of the Western population at some point in their lives.

What is Arthritis? - Psoriatic Arthritis

The risk factors for psoriatic arthritis include sufferers of psoriasis, an age range between 30 - 50 years and an inherited genetic pre-disposition (Mayo Clinic 2019)

Psoriatic arthritis occurs when people with psoriasis have inflammation of the joints and the skin.

The condition presents as patches of red or white areas of inflamed skin, typically around the elbows, knees and scalp, although there may be a wide variety of additional symptoms.

Its cause is believed to be due to an autoimmune condition, and as occurs in rheumatoid arthritis, the body mistakenly attacks healthy joints causing inflammation, discomfort and pain.

Final Words on What is Arthritis?

This article addresses the question "What is arthritis?" and focuses primarily on how it may affect seniors. Arthritis presents difficulties for sufferers and affects the quality of life.

Many forms affect the feet and make walking painful. Fortunately, aside from prescription medication, there are a wide range of extra wide and extra deep shoes, socks, orthotics and other products that can provide relief with managing arthritis. Also check "How to Use healing Benefits of Essential Oils for Arthritis Pain". These products are reviewed in upcoming articles.

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Are there any other specific things to note about arthritis which were not mentioned in this article? Let us know by leaving your comments in the comments box below.

Remember to make an appointment with your doctor or healthcare professional if you have any persistent discomfort and swelling in any of your joints.

If you liked this article, consider leaving a comment.

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References

Gout (2020) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gout

Preventing Arthritis Pain (2020) https://www.tylenol.ca/symptoms/adult/arthritis/preventing-arthritis-pain

Arthritis Osteoporosis Treatment Centre AOTC (2017) Causes of Three Common Types of Arthritis https://arthritisjax.com/blog/category/arthritis/

Bliddal et al (2014) Osteoarthritis, obesity and weight loss: evidence, hypotheses and horizons – a scoping review Obes Rev. 15(7): 578–586
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4238740/#:~:text=Weight loss can prevent the onset of osteoarthritis, relieve, loss reduces the risk for OA in women

Pietrangelo, A (2020) Early Signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis https://www.healthline.com/health/early-signs-rheumatoid-arthritis

Mayo Clinic (2019) Rheumatoid Arthritis https://www.healthline.com/health/early-signs-rheumatoid-arthritis

Consumer Health (2020) Joint Supplements: Benefits, Uses, Side Effects and Scams. https://consumershealth.org/joint-supplements-guide/

Yen E, & Singh R (2018) Brief Report: Lupus-An Unrecognized Leading Cause of Death in Young Females: A Population-Based Study Using Nationwide Death Certificates, 2000-2015. Arthritis & Rheumatology. 70(8):1251-1255.

National Resource Center on Lupus (2016) Lupus Facts and Statistics. Who does it affect? https://www.lupus.org/resources/lupus-facts-and-statistics