Arthritis Causes

When you are diagnosed with arthritis you might not be concerned with why you have it or what caused it, you are more interested in what you can do to get some pain relief and resume your normal life activities. Later, you may wonder what caused your arthritis. Did you workout too hard? Did grandma pass it down to you or is it just a part of your makeup that you will have to deal with. The causes of arthritis depend a lot on what type of arthritis you have.

Medical News Today describes the causes of some of the most common arthritis conditions including osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis is caused when cartridge loses its elasticity over time and is commonly caused by aging. As the cartilage wears away the tendons and ligaments are not protected and the bones become vulnerable and pain is investable as they rub against each other. In addition to normal aging, genetics play a large part in developing osteoarthritis. If your family has a history of this disease you are likely to develop it.
Injury to tendons or muscles can cause degenerative arthritis. These types of injury often occur while playing sports or exercising and the arthritis might not appear for years. If your body has an imbalanced metabolism or problems with its immune system you can develop gout or pseudo gout. These are painful arthritis conditions that are a direct result of the body’s metabolic or immune system being off kilter.

Arthritis associated with Lyme disease is caused by an infection that typically comes from being bitten by deer tick. Lyme disease has many other symptoms in addition to arthritis and is a dangerous infection. Once the Lyme disease is successfully treated the arthritis may continue to linger for years. This could be due to the autoimmune system being compromised by the Lyme disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by an overactive immune system which also is the cause of systemic lupus. Knowing the cause of the arthritis, such as in lupus and rheumatoid, makes treating the arthritis easier to do and more precise for doctors to do.
Not all types of arthritis have a definitive cause and treatment is more difficult. However, if doctors can find an exact cause for your arthritis you are closer to getting the treatment options to help alleviate your pain.


Resources: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7621.php