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What Are Joints?

The human body has approximately 230 moving and semi-moving joints. They perform thousands of specialised movements every day, such as; typing on a keyboard, walking to work, drinking a coffee or reaching for a book.

Our joints make the connections between 2 or more bones in our skeleton. They are essential for a good quality of life, they help us play sport, talk, walk, eat, move and sit. Now, try and imagine what it would be like if one or more of your joints had minimal movement and caused you pain, imagine your day-to-day activities and how they would be affected. This is what you may experience if you have Arthritis.

There are different types of joints in our bodies, which are all designed for specific functions. Some joints have barely any movement at all, where others have a wide range of movement and rotation. Our hips and shoulders are “ball and socket” joints, which allow for the greatest range of movement. Examples of “hinge” joints are our knees, toes and fingers, which only move in two directions, usually forwards and backwards.

Joints also consist of other tissues and membranes, which offer protection and provide strength. We have muscles, ligaments, and an encasing capsule made up of a synovial membrane containing synovial fluid, which provides sustenance for the cartilage and lubricates the joint. Cartilage is the smooth protective layer of dense connective tissue found at the ends of our bones, and acts as a shock absorber and helps smooth movement within the joint. All of these components can be affected with different forms of Arthritis.