Whats the difference between arthritis and rheumatism? What is connective tissue disease?
Arthritis is defined as inflammation or damage of the joints, but there are over 100 conditions classified as types of arthritis which involve inflammation of tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints. Rheumatism describes nearly any condition associated with joint or muscle pain. It doesn’t indicate a specific disease but indicates any condition that causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness in your joints and muscles. For example, both rheumatoid arthritis and bursitis are forms of rheumatism. Connective tissue disease refers to an inflammatory disease marked by autoimmunity. In other words, the immune system, which normally fights off foreign invaders (“germs”) starts attacking the body’s normal tissues. An example of a connective tissue disease is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), tendonitis, or fibromyalgia. I just found out that I have arthritis. Does this mean I have to give up physical activities? No. Exercise can reduce joint pain and stiffness in addition to increasing muscle
