Arthritis is often refered to as all rheumatic diseases. The word arthritis means joint inflammation; that is, swelling, redness, heat, and pain caused by tissue injury or disease in the joint. There are as many as 100 forms of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. These rheumatic diseases cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Arthritis can also affect other parts of the body including internal organs.

 

The many different kinds of arthritis comprise just a portion of the rheumatic diseases. Some rheumatic diseases are described as connective tissue diseases because they affect the body's connective tissue--the supporting framework of the body and its internal organs. Others are known as autoimmune diseases because they are caused by a problem in which the immune system harms the body's own healthy tissues. Examples of some other rheumatic diseases Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Scleroderma and Gout. People with arthritis should try to do some form of excercise. Studies have found that exercise helps people with arthritis in many ways. Exercise helps reduces joint pain, stiffness and increases flexibility, muscle strength and endurance. Excerise also helps you lose weight, which has also proved to help people who are over weight and have arthritis.