Arthritis in Older Persons

Arthritis in all its forms is common among older persons. Osteoarthritis is as much a part of aging as gray hair and may be accompanied by mild or severe symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis is much more common after the age of 60 years than has been suspected. Gout, bursitis, the shoulder-hand syndrome, and psychogenic rheumatism are other causes of arthritic symptoms in older persons. These disorders, as well as rheumatoid arthritis, may be superimposed on the musculoskeletal changes accompanying the aging process.