ARTHRITIS IS MORE THAN JUST JOINT PAIN

Have you ever wondered why your knees hurt when you stand up?

Why your fingers become stiff in the morning?

Why your waist, hips, shoulders, or other joints can hurt when you move?

But arthritis is much more than simply “old people’s joint pain.”

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the word arthritis literally means inflammation of a joint. A joint is the place where two bones meet, such as the knee, elbow, hip, or fingers. Arthritis can cause symptoms such as pain, redness, heat, swelling, and difficulty moving the affected joint.

And there is something very important to understand:

Arthritis is not one single disease.

There are many different types of arthritis, and they can have different causes and require different treatments.

HOW COMMON IS ARTHRITIS?

Arthritis affects millions of Nigerians both DIABETICS AND NON-DIABETICS.

SYNLAB Nigerian Research Institute (SNRI)  shows that joint and musculoskeletal problems are affecting a significant number of Nigerians in our communities.

This Nigerian community-based study involving 3,056 people, 58% reported musculoskeletal pain during the study period.

That means that in a group of 100 people, about 58% Nigerian Diabetics reported pain involving their muscles, bones or joints.

This become even more important when researchers looked at the type of Arthritis they suffer.

12.4% of the people studied were found to have a clinically diagnosed rheumatic or musculoskeletal disease.

And among these conditions, osteoarthritis was the most common, affecting 6.1% of the entire study population.

Another Nigerian community study conducted in Jos found out that 33% of participants had a musculoskeletal disease, with osteoarthritis being the most common condition identified.

Joint and musculoskeletal problems are a real health concern among Nigerians.

1. OSTEOARTHRITIS — WHEN THE JOINT STRUCTURES BREAK DOWN

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis.

Over time, the tissues inside a joint can break down. This can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced movement. It commonly affects areas such as the knees, hips, hands, neck, and lower back.

Imagine someone who used to climb stairs without thinking about it.

Now, every step hurts.

Getting up from a chair becomes difficult.

Walking to the market becomes tiring and uncomfortable.

For some people, the pain becomes severe enough to interfere with normal daily activities.

2. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS — WHEN THE BODY ATTACKS ITS OWN JOINTS

Rheumatoid arthritis is different.

It is an autoimmune disease. This means the body’s immune system, which is supposed to protect the body, mistakenly attacks healthy tissues around the joints.

This can cause pain, swelling, warmth, stiffness, and loss of joint function.

It can affect the hands, wrists, feet, knees, shoulders, and other joints. Some people also experience fatigue and occasional fever.

Imagine waking up and finding that both hands are stiff and swollen.

You want to hold your cup.

But your fingers hurt.

You want to button your clothes.

But your fingers cannot move comfortably.

You want to comb your hair.

But lifting your arm hurts.

These are not simply “small pains.” They can interfere with ordinary things people normally do without thinking.

3. GOUT — WHEN URATE CRYSTALS CAUSE SUDDEN PAIN

Gout is another type of inflammatory arthritis.

When urate builds up in the body, it can form sharp crystals in and around a joint. This can cause sudden and intense pain, swelling, redness, and warmth.

The big toe is a common place for gout attacks, although other joints can also be affected.

For some people, a gout flare can become so painful that even putting pressure on the affected foot becomes difficult.

A person may wake up in the night because of the pain.

4. PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

Psoriatic arthritis is associated with psoriasis, a condition that can cause scaly skin patches.

It can affect the joints and the places where tendons and ligaments attach to bones.

This means that someone may experience both skin problems and painful or swollen joints.

5. REACTIVE ARTHRITIS

Reactive arthritis can develop after certain infections.

It may cause painful, swollen joints, particularly in the lower limbs, and may sometimes involve the eyes or urinary tract.

6. OTHER INFLAMMATORY AND AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS

There are also other forms of arthritis and rheumatic diseases, including conditions that can affect the spine, joints , muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, eyes, or other organs.

This is why simply saying “I have arthritis” does not always tell us exactly what is happening.