| It can sometimes be a mystery. You speak to people | | | | to get arthritis in later life. |
| in their thirties who are suffering from arthritis but | | | | Weight - being overweight can put more stress on the |
| others in the seventies are happily going about their | | | | weight-bearing joints of the body such as the knees |
| business without the inconvenience of this condition. So | | | | and hips. These are frequently affected by arthritis and |
| exactly what causes arthritis? | | | | many doctors would recommend that overweight |
| First of all we have to be clear about what type of | | | | sufferers try to lose some weight if possible |
| arthritis we are talking about because there are | | | | Sport - There is a paradox here. Playing sport can |
| several different types with different symptoms. We'll | | | | have many beneficial effects to us all, including people |
| concentrate on osteoarthritis as this is the most | | | | with arthritis. But high impact sport at a professional |
| common condition and most people will know | | | | level has also been implicated as a possible cause of |
| somebody who suffers from it to a greater or lesser | | | | arthritis. The twisting motion on the knee in sports like |
| degree. | | | | soccer, or the constant pounding of the jogger running |
| Doctors do not know the precise causes but they are | | | | 50 miles a week could be a contributory factor in |
| able to identify a number of risk factors for getting the | | | | developing arthritis. Less intense activities such as |
| condition. Here are some of those factors: | | | | swimming are less likely to cause such problems. |
| Age - We are more likely to suffer from arthritis the | | | | Occupation - The occupation that you have |
| older we get. The cartilage that protects the ends of | | | | performed for years may also be telling. Physical jobs |
| the bones in a joint becomes thinner in sufferers and | | | | such as building site laborers are more at risk. |
| less able to repair itself. The condition is sometimes | | | | Assembly line workers who perform repetitive tasks |
| referred to as a 'wear and tear' disease. | | | | can also be more likely to suffer. |
| Injury - It has been found that osteoarthritis can | | | | Although it is not always possible to exactly pinpoint |
| develop in joints that have been previously affected | | | | the causes of arthritis, it is useful to know the risk |
| by injury. But just because you have had a broken | | | | factors so that we can take action to reduce the risk |
| bone or other injury it doesn't mean that you are going | | | | of getting the disease. |