Disability due to Arthritis Part One

If you are applying for disability due to arthritis this video and the next will help. Arthritis is the number one cause of disability
Medical terms used:
arthritis - inflammation in a joint
arthralgia - pain in a joint due to any cause
cartilage - the smooth, Teflon like material that coats the bones in a joint
synovial fluid - the fluid inside a joint. Normally it is a greasy lubricant
synovium - the soft tissue that surrounds a joint
monoarticular - affecting one joint
oligoarticular - affecting a few joints
polyarticular - affecting many joints
osteoarthritis - the most common type of arthritis, with degeneration of cartilage, bone spur, but not a lot of inflammation
PIP joint - the joint in the middle of a finger
DIP joint - the joint near the tip of a finger
osteophytes - hard bone spurs, typical of osteoarthritis. Seen on X-rays
systemic effects - effects throughout the whole body, not just the joints
joint aspiration - removal of some of the synovial fluid by sticking a needle in a joint
joint effusion - abnormally large amount of fluid in a joint "water on the knee"
ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) - a test for systemic inflammation. The higher it is, the more inflammation
CRP (C-reactive protein) - another test for systemic inflammation. The higher, the more inflammation
white blood cell count - the number of inflammatory cells in the blood. The more inflammation, the higher the white blood cell count
leukocyte - medical term for white blood cell
pus - a body fluid with a very large number of white blood cells
gout - a severe form of arthritis due to the body producing too much uric acid
tophi - balls of uric acid that can form outside of joints in longstanding gout
autoimmunity - when the body's immune system attacks a normal part of the body
malaise - a general feeling of sickness
bony erosions - where the bone is eaten away, like rotten wood - seen in the bones of joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Seen on X-rays