Arthritis is emerging to be the leading disease in India and is expected affect around 65 crore population by 2013, say experts.
Nearly 70 per cent of people above the 65 years of age are suffering from arthritis in India and it would become the biggest epidemic of the country by 2013, according to a survey.
Osteoarthritis affects people aged 65 years and above. Whereas, the younger population is found to be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
“Obesity is the main factor responsible for arthritis. Trauma to knee, meniscus tears or ligament damage and bone fractures around joints also contribute to the disease,” said Manuj Wadhwa, an orthopedic surgeon.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can be treated if the disease is diagnosed properly. Proper treatment could obviate problems like stiffness of knees, swelling of joint and tenderness along the joints which are common with arthritis conditions.
While new generation medicines can manage arthritis symptoms in the earlier stage of the disease, technologically advanced surgical measures like Tissue Preventing Total Knee Replacement Surgery could help those having advanced form of the disease.
These new techniques help patients cure the deformities caused by the disease and lead a normal life, again, said Dr Wadhwa.
Arthritis includes a group of disorders that affect the joints and muscles of the body.
Arthritis symptoms include joint pain, inflammation and limited movement of joints. When a joint is inflamed it may be swollen, tender, warm to the touch or red.
Each joint is surrounded by a protective lubricating fluid to aid in motion. Cartilage covers joints to assure an even, fluid motion of the joint.
In joint arthritis, the cartilage may be damaged, narrowed and lost by a degenerative process or by inflammation making movement painful.
Most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Joints naturally degenerate over time.
Arthritis is a chronic disease and ther is no known cure for it.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is different from osteoarthritis, the common arthritis that often comes with older age. RA can affect body parts besides joints, such as your eyes, mouth and lungs.
RA is an autoimmune disease, which means the arthritis results from your immune system attacking your body’s own tissues.