Arthritis is a general term that means inflammation of the joints. Arthro = joint, Itis = inflammation.
There are about 100 different types of arthritis that have different symptoms, different causes and different treatments.
Arthritis can be divided into two main types – Osteoarthritis which is the wear and tear arthritis and Inflammatory arthritis, of which there are many different types. Some affect children but most affect adults.
The common feature of all types of arthritis is a disruption to the joint surface resulting in pain, stiffness and sometimes swelling. If arthritis becomes severe enough, surgery may be an option.