The term arthritis specifically means joint inflammation. It is used generally to explain many different types of rheumatic conditions that affect a person’s joints, tissue that surrounds the joint and connective joint tissue. Common types of arthritis include:
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Fibromyalgia
Gout
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or lupus)
Symptoms of arthritis can vary and the onslaught can be gradual or sudden. Most commonly, symptoms include stiffness, swelling, redness, pain around one or more joint (i.e. knees, wrists, hands, hips and shoulders) and limitation of the function of surrounding and supportive body structures.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is a widespread condition that can lead to serious lower back and neck pain. Almost everyone experiences this medical condition, simply because a person’s spinal discs degenerate and lose the ability to absorb shock naturally over time. An injury to the disc can accelerate and aggravate degenerative disc disease. Most often degenerative disc disease pain occurs not from the condition itself, but because a person’s suffers another injury to the back or neck.
Degenerative disc disease is not actually classified as a disease, but a medical condition caused by a damaged disc in the spine. Such damage can include a slipped disc, ruptured disc or herniated disc, or a tear in the outer core of the disc.