The word arthritis is derived from the Greek words arthro, which means joints and –itis, which means inflammation. Arthritis is the inflammation in the joints of the body. Mostly arthritis is found in humans above the age of 55. The history of arthritis traces back to centuries. It is one of the oldest diseases in the universe. Moreover, the history of arthritis makes an interesting study.  

In 1890, the European doctors found that by applying quinine, the lesion caused by the lupus reduced significantly. In 1940, the soldiers in the tropics used the drug chloroquine to reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Finally in 1999, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Cox-2 inhibitors to cure arthritis without much stomach disorder. This has become a great boon for the arthritis patients.  

The history of arthritis includes the fact that there are many kinds of arthritis. They are the Rheumatoid Arthritis, the Psoriatic Arthritis, the Septic Arthritis, the Gouty Arthritis and the most common arthritis which is the Osteoarthritis. The common meaning of arthritis is pain, and mostly this pain differs from arthritis to arthritis and the location.  The osteoarthritis is worse at nights, whereas, the Rheumatoid Arthritis is worse in the mornings. 

The history of Osteoarthritis was found in the dinosaurs, whereas the first trace of human arthritis refers back to 4500 BC. Some of the evidence of arthritis throughout History is found in Otzi, a mummy, found along the border of Italy and Austria to the Egyptian mummies circa 2590 BC.  The arthritis care reaches its history of 60 years. 

The most important step in diagnosing the Rheumatoid Arthritis is the medical history as well as physical examination which can evaluate the pain and the stiffness. 

The history of the Gout Arthritis is a century old.  It was associated with “high living and superior social status” and “Longevity.” Prominent men like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were gout sufferers. In 1861, the gout is referred to a peculiar disease which is similar to rheumatism, affecting the joints especially at the foot and toes.  

Modern theory says that by immersing the affected part in cold water for few minutes and done frequently reduces the pain in gout arthritis.  

Arthritis is known to affect the older generation and kids as well. Pain is not the symptom in all cases at times; people who have arthritis just stop using that particular limb. It is only as late as the nineteenth century that Arthritis was given a separate identity, till then it was believed to be a side effect of old age and other diseases. 

It was believed that Arthritis was caused by the deficiency of certain minerals and vitamins. Then, there was a belief that this was only a problem which aroused due to stress caused by the environment or by the individual’s psychology.  

Rothschild was a scientist who believed that the history of arthritis is 4000 years old and started in the area of the Tennessee Indians. He believes that it spread from there. Now, it is a known fact that Arthritis is inflammation of the joints and there are cures for it and still a lot of research is being done on the topics.

After a peaceful sleep, when you get up you may feel a bit stiff.  If you are sitting in a computer table for a long time, or you are doing gardening work for sometime and when you get up you may feel a bit stiff. Sometimes, when you sneeze, you feel an occasional discomfort all over the body. These are all mild occasional pains, whereas arthritis goes beyond this pain. 

Arthritis information shows that it includes a number of diseases that leads to inflammation, pain and stiffness, primarily in the joints and the connecting tissues.  The supporting structures for the joints are called connecting tissues. Examples are the muscles, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. About arthritis, there are more than six kinds mostly it is chronic, but some like the gout or intermittent. With the actual joint inflammation it causes swelling and warmth, whereas in cartilage lining, the joint wears out but the inflammation is minor. 

Before knowing some arthritis information, you should know what is a joint and what are the activities done by tendon, ligament and cartilage. The ends of the bones meet at a joint. Cartilage is a layer of smooth pliable tissue. Tendons connect muscles to bones.  Ligaments connect and support bones to keep them in proper alignment. The joints work like a machine and the synovial fluid produced by the inner lining helps in lubricating and provides nutrients. 

When you are injured or infected, the body reacts in a natural way like swelling, pain, warmth and redness. Inflammation is not only the result of injury. Sometimes, it perpetuates injury and continues for a very long time. Then, it becomes a severe arthritis and it spreads to the other parts of the body.   

Stiffness, rigidity, tissue damage, and pain are the symptoms of arthritis and it occurs, when the joint is moved. As the mobility decreases, the muscles around the bone weaken, the cartilage breaks down and the bones go a little out of shape. There are more than 100 kinds of arthritis and it differs from individual to individual. 

Limited joint function or increase pain in movement, fatigue and loss of appetite are other symptoms. The signs about arthritis are joint swelling, joint redness, joint warmth deformity and loss of joint motion. 

Once you feel a terrible pain, you must consult a health care professional, who may ask you to undergo a thorough checkup and many tests, like the blood test, urine test etc. In severe cases, you may be asked to take X-rays and imaging procedures like the CT (Computed Tomography) or MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). 

If there is only ligament, tissue or the tendon swells the pain will be in the joint. Muscle strain adds more pain, and if there is a joint damage, then the normal activities like getting out of bed, or holding a pencil also become very painful. 

You should also be aware of this arthritis information also. The level of pain and discomfort varies from person to person. Emotional stress and distress can intensify sensation of pain. There are many ways to treat this disease. They are homeopathy, vitamins and fish oils, herbal remedies, Acupuncture, Acupressure, Magnet Therapy, Diet Therapy, self control and massage etc.  

Valuable arthritis information is surgery is not a must, but people in the sixties do go for hip replacement surgery or knee replacement surgery.