Arthritis is in its most simple definition the inflammation of the joints in the body, or it could just be one arthritic joint - but damage occurs as well as the pain and the stiffness. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in persons over the age of retirement, however many people who are much younger are afflicted as well.
There are many kinds of arthritis and a few different causes - old age is commonly blamed but has not been proven to be anything other than a factor in the progression of joint deterioration. It is more likely that arthritis is a genetically passed on condition that manifests itself depending on which type is passed down.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, and osteoarthritis can afflict one, or multiple joints. Osteoarthritis is also the most common to develop after an injury to a joint - although septic arthritis might occur if the joint is infected with a germ such as streptococcus or staphylococcus.
The most common symptom of arthritis is pain, at any level of pain from small to greatly excruciating, and the pain can last for as long as you live depending on the treatment of ineffective treatment of arthritis, depending on the type of arthritis, and depending on the circumstances that lead to the development of arthritis. Commonly it is first discovered by noticing pain and stiffness in one or multiple joints, when the pain occurs, and what aggravates or relieves it. Finding out which type of Arthritis is afflicting the joint or joints may involve several x-rays and blood tests to determine, while radiographs are often used to check up and follow the progress of the arthritis if someone is at risk or already has the affliction. Treatments are varied and wide, and depend on the type of arthritis that is present in the joints.