Arthritis: Symptoms, Types & Treatment

Arthritis is not one disease but a family of more than a hundred joint conditions. Osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear form, typically affects knees, hips and hands after fifty, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can strike at any age and often begins in the small joints of the hands. Persistent joint pain, morning stiffness lasting more than thirty minutes, swelling and reduced range of motion are the classic warning signs. Early diagnosis matters: modern treatment combines medication, physiotherapy, weight management and joint-friendly exercise such as swimming and cycling to keep you mobile and slow the disease. Do not dismiss recurring joint pain as normal ageing — a timely consultation with an orthopedist or rheumatologist protects the joint for decades.