Uncle Arthur comes in many forms!

May 12, 2020 – Last week we discussed what arthritis is and now we need to understand what types of arthritis could affect us. Not all our “Uncle Arthur’s” are the same!

Osteoarthritis: This is the most common type and is the type of arthritis that most of us think of. It is usually localized to one joint at a time (but it can be present in more than one joint) and involves the breakdown the cartilage found inside the joint. The damage caused can be managed conservatively and/or surgically, but once the damage has occurred it cannot be reversed.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: The is the second most common type of arthritis. It is an autoimmune disorder that causes chronic inflammation in several joints throughout the body at the same time. It is systemic and causes a break down of the bony lining causing pain and deformation in the smaller joints of the body, like your hands for example.

(from www.medicinenet.com)

Several other types of arthritis include ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, etc. These are much less common and can be managed either conservatively and/or surgically.

We would also like to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there. We are especially grateful for the mothers of our staff and patients and our staff and patients that are mothers. We are very, very thankful for all that you do!

Your Witte Physical Therapy team

#homegrown #backtolife

References

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350772

https://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/osteoarthritis_picture/picture.htm