There are around 100 different varieties of arthritis and about 1 in every 3 Americans (28 million people) are said to have it in one form or another. The most common is osteoarthritis but there are also conditions such as gout which is also a form of arthritis. It is in fact the most painful form of arthritis. Having suffered from gout myself I would have to agree that it is incredibly painful indeed. In England, the estimates are that 9 out of 10 people will suffer from arthritis in some form before they die.

So with arthritis seemingly rife throughout the Western world are we any closer to finding out why we suffer from it. Well, unfortunately medicine is at a loss still to understand the cause properly. In the 1900s, scientists were convinced that it was a chronic infection of the joints. Since then we have had new theories abound. It is thought that there may be a hereditary link, or that some people have a genetic disposition to it. It is also believed by some that it is caused by a micro organism called mycoplasma and others believe that it is a malfunction of the body’s metabolic and immune system. However, they all agree on one thing-they still don’t have much idea as to what causes arthritis.

The most popular theory for now is that it is a malfunction of the immune system and this is where the majority of the studies and efforts are being focused on. To date diet has offered the most promising help to many sufferers, as they are getting varying degrees of relief from changing to a diet that reduces inflammation and helps the immune system.