"Arthritis" comes from the Greek word, arthron, and literally means "inflammation of a joint." Mankind has been afflicted with arthritis for centuries. Mummies from the Egyptian tombs show evidence of arthritis, as do ancient skeletons as far back as Java man.

There are over 100 different types of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common kinds, affecting at least two-and-a-half million people in the United States alone. Worldwide, this disease affects between 1-2% of the total adult population.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. A normal, healthy immune system protects the body by attacking anything that it does not recognize, such as invading bacteria or viruses. Autoimmune diseases cause the body's immune system to misidentify the body's own tissues as foreign invaders. The body then mistakenly launches an attack on itself. In rheumatoid arthritis, the attack is focused on the joints and on the other organs that may eventually become affected.

This is what takes place:

Bones that work together in body movement are held together by the joints. A tough tissue called the "articular capsule" surrounds the bones, their cartilage and the small gap between the bones, known as the joint cavity. The inside of the articular capsule is called the synovial membrane. This thin, delicate membrane is full of tiny blood vessels and special cells that produce a fluid that lubricates the bones so they can move together smoothly. RA causes the synovial membrane to become thick and stiff. White blood cells invade the membrane, releasing enzymes that are destructive to cartilage and bone and irritating to the surrounding tendons, ligaments and muscles. The result is erosion--a slow wearing away of the structures in the joints. The joints feel painful and stiff, and patients have difficulty with movement.

RA usually affects multiple joints, and the joints are usually affected symmetrically. That is, whatever occurs in the joints on one side of the body usually also occurs in the same joints on the other side. Affected joints will have a loss of joint function, and permanent deformity may occur, especially when RA is not treated. Hands, knees, ankles, and hips can be seriously affected, making certain activities difficult or impossible.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic (long lasting) disease for which there is no cure. Because it affects not only the joints, but also other organs in the body, RA is known as a "systemic" disease. Rheumatoid arthritis patients sometimes experience periods of remission, when no symptoms are present. Symptoms recur, however, in episodes sometimes called "flares." In some people RA is mild; in others it is severe and crippling.

RA can affect any joint in the body, but the small joints in the hand are its most frequent targets. It appears that physical or emotional stress can aggravate rheumatoid arthritis. The cause of this disease is still unknown. Early aggressive treatment may improve the long-term disease course.

References

First published September 1, 1999
Last updated December 16, 2002
Copyright © 2001 Accordant Health Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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