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| Arthritis and Exercise Glossary |
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Osteoarthritis:
OA (also know as degenerative joint disease) primarily affects cartilage
within the joints, causing it to fray, wear, ulcerate, and in extreme cases, to wear
away entirely, leaving a bone-on-bone joint. At the edges of the joint, bony spurs
may form. OA can cause joint pain, loss of function, reduced joint motion, and
deformity. Disability results most often from disease in the spine and in the
weight-bearing joints (knees and hips).
-p-
Polymyositis:
A rheumatic disease that causes weakness and inflammation of muscles.
Physiatrist:
A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and management of injuries and
diseases causing pain, loss of function, and disability. Treatment plans often include
the use of exercise, massage, heat, electricity (TENS), relaxation techniques, splints
and braces, and local injections to relieve pain.
Psoriatic arthritis:
Joint inflammation that occurs in about 5 to 10 percent of people with
psoriasis (a common skin disorder).
-r-
Range of motion (ROM):
The ability of a joint to go through all its normal movements. Range-of-
motion exercises help increase or maintain flexibility and movement in muscles,
tendons, ligaments, and joints.
Relaxation therapy:
People with arthritis use relaxation to release the tension in their muscles,
which relieves pain.
Rehabilitation specialist:
See physiatrist.
Rheumatoid arthritis:
An often chronic systemic disease that causes inflammatory changes in
the synovium, or joint lining, that result in pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss
of function in the joints. The disease can also affect other parts of the body.
Rheumatologist:
A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders that affect
the joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
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