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Arthritis: What is it?
Arthritis or chronic joint problems affect about 66 million Americans -- one in every three adults.
The word arthritis comes from the Greek words arthron, meaning joint, and itis, which means inflammation.
There are many different types of arthritis.
- Osteoarthritis is the most common.
- There's also rheumatoid arthritis and other "inflammatory" conditions, such as gout.
No matter what kind of arthritis you have, there may be ways to treat it that didn't exist even five years ago. New medicines and new information have made arthritis treatment more effective than ever before.
Source: Arthritis Foundation; M Weinblatt. The Arthritis Action Program. A Harvard Medical School Book. Simon and Schuster, New York, New York 10020; H McIlwain, D Bruce. Stop Osteoarthritis Now! Simon and Schuster, New York, New York, 10020; United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
First published: 05/31/2001
Last updated: 12/01/2005
Reviewed by: Paul Kleeberg, MD, medical director, Allina.com