If you are applying for disability due to arthritis this video and the next will help. Arthritis is the number one cause of disability
Medical terms used:
- arthritis - inflammation in a joint
- arthralgia - pain in a joint due to any cause
- cartilage - the smooth, Teflon like material that coats the bones in a joint
- synovial fluid - the fluid inside a joint. Normally it is a greasy lubricant
- synovium - the soft tissue that surrounds a joint
- monoarticular - affecting one joint
- oligoarticular - affecting a few joints
- polyarticular - affecting many joints
- osteoarthritis - the most common type of arthritis, with degeneration of cartilage, bone spur, but not a lot of inflammation
- PIP joint - the joint in the middle of a finger
- DIP joint - the joint near the tip of a finger
- osteophytes - hard bone spurs, typical of osteoarthritis. Seen on X-rays
- systemic effects - effects throughout the whole body, not just the joints
- joint aspiration - removal of some of the synovial fluid by sticking a needle in a joint
- joint effusion - abnormally large amount of fluid in a joint "water on the knee"
- ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) - a test for systemic inflammation. The higher it is, the more inflammation
- CRP (C-reactive protein) - another test for systemic inflammation. The higher, the more inflammation
- white blood cell count - the number of inflammatory cells in the blood. The more inflammation, the higher the white blood cell count
- leukocyte - medical term for white blood cell
- pus - a body fluid with a very large number of white blood cells
- gout - a severe form of arthritis due to the body producing too much uric acid
- tophi - balls of uric acid that can form outside of joints in longstanding gout
- autoimmunity - when the body's immune system attacks a normal part of the body
- malaise - a general feeling of sickness
- bony erosions - where the bone is eaten away, like rotten wood - seen in the bones of joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Seen on X-rays