Rheumatism (roo-muh-tism) and arthritis are terms often used interchangeably. Arthritis is a general term used to describe joints affected by inflammation or degenerative changes and is only one of the many conditions categorized as rheumatic (roo-mah-tik) disease.

Arthritis (arth-RYE-tis) is a rheumatic (roo-mat-ik) disease in which joints are affected by inflammatory or degenerative changes, causing pain and stiffness.

Gout affects more than one million Americans of all ages, but particularly men between 40 and 50 years old. Almost all people with gout have too much uric acid in their bodies, and the kidneys can't process this waste product fast enough.

There are two forms of lupus (LOO-pis): discoid (DIS-koyd) lupus and systemic (sis-TEM-ick) lupus. Discoid lupus is a condition that affects the skin and mucous membranes and is characterized by red patches on the face or other sun-exposed areas.

Rheumatoid (room-ah-toyd) arthritis is a chronic disease of the joints that is characterized by recurring periods of active inflammation. Women are affected more often than men, and it usually strikes between ages 25 and 55.

Treatment for the two most common forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis (ost-tee-oh-ar-threye-tiss) and rheumatoid (room-ah-toyd) arthritis, is basically the same.