Arthritis Causes

Arthritis Causes

Arthritis pain is caused by damaged joints. There are a variety of factors that can cause arthritis or predispose someone from developing this umbrella-term condition. Your joints are made up of cartilage, joint capsule (the membrane that encases the joint) and synovium (membrane that lines the joint capsule).

You may experience wear-and-tear damage to cartilage, which can result in bone on bone grinding. This causes pain and restricted movement.

In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system attacks joints and inflames the synovium, which causes swelling, redness and pain. Rheumatoid arthritis can destroy cartilage and bone within the joint.

Repetitive movements can cause arthritis, in the form of tendinitis. Anything from using a computer keyboard all day, running, or lifting heavy weights excessively can all lead to arthritis problems. This is formally referred to as repetitive motion disorder.

There are a variety of risk factors that increase a person’s chance for developing arthritis. Some of these risk factors can be changed while others cannot:

Family history - The risk for developing some types of arthritis is passed down genetically by parents. Specific genes have been associated with an increased risk for certain types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus.

Obesity - Excess weight is a stress on your joints, especially your knees, hips and spine. As the joints supports a larger load, the cartilage starts to wear away thereby weakening the joint. The cumulative effect over time gives obese people a higher risk of developing arthritis.

Age - While there is juvenile arthritis, the risk of certain forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout, increases with age. As we age, our bones become more brittle and the lifelong use of our joints starts to wear down the cartilage, the smooth and flexible material found in between joints that allows them to move. As cartilage is worn away, the bones have no protective buffer and the joints become exposed causing them to rub against one another.

Occupational Hazards - Arthritis risk increases for individuals who engage in repetitive tasks that use the same muscles and joints over and over. Machine operators, seamstresses, printmakers, farmers and those who have been exposed to asbestos are some of the professions with a higher risk of developing arthritis.

Joint Injury - People who have injured a joint are more likely to develop arthritis in that joint at some point in their lives.

Gender - Women are more likely than men to develop rheumatoid arthritis, while most gout sufferers are men.