Arthritis Essay

Over 30 million people suffer from pain of arthritis or joint inflammation. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis this type does not cause deformity. The human body contains over 130 joints and any one of them can be susceptible to osteoarthritis. It typically targets hands, knees, shoulders and hips and elbows resulting in moderate to severe joint pain.

It is basically the breaking down of the cartilage between the bones of our joints. This causes the bones to rub together and the result being moderate to severe pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis causes this cartilage to fray, wear down, and in extreme cases disappear totally. The impact of this disease is on our motor ability. Early warning symptoms can be stiffness in the morning, joint pain after exercise, joint pain during damp weather or constant pain in your joints after normal activity.

WHAT CAN CAUSE OSTEOARTHRITIS?
Glucosamine is actually what is called an amino sugar. It is a necessary component for building cartilage and connective tissue. It is a building block of a larger molecule called proteoglycans which with other substances combine to form protective tissue. These large molecules act like a sponge to absorb water and give connective tissue elasticity and cushioning abilities. This is what protects us from wear and tear on our joints. Without glucosamine tissues such as tendons, nails, ligaments and mucous membranes would not be able to form properly.

Normally our bodies produce the needed amount of glucosamine we need to produce the connective tissue and cartilage that we need. However, over time this requirement can change due to things like injuries, burns, age, arthritis and other inflammatory disease. This is when our bodies are not able to produce enough glucosamine, resulting in a decrease in proteoglycans needed to produce cartilage. This reduces the amount of protection that our joints