MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS:: ARTHRITIS

Arthritis is a disease that involves inflammation of one or more joints often causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and sometimes deformity. Physical examinations may show effusion, tender, redness, and warmth of the joint. In normal usage of the joint, an individual with arthritis may have excessive pain along with difficulty in rotating the joints.

Arthritis is very common with increased age but it is not part of the normal aging process. It may be a result of infections, metabolic disturbances, multisystem autoimmune diseases, or joint trauma. The underlying causes of arthritis are usually not curable, therefore, treatment focuses on medications to lessen pain, discomfort, and prevent any additional disability.