Arthritis exists in over 200 different forms and is known by various names. Some of the common ones are:

• Osteoarthritis - the commonest form of arthritis, it is a wear-and-tear condition brought about by excessive use of one or more parts of the body, e.g., the finger joints or the weight bearing joints such as knees, hips and spine.
• Rheumatoid arthritis - a very important and common form of arthritis, characterized by a chronic inflammatory disease that affects various organs of the body, most obviously the joints.
• Bursitis - often called 'tennis elbow' or 'housemaid's knee', and is caused by an inflammation of the bursa, a small sac that contains fluid and is usually situated between a tendon and the bone over which the tendon rides.
• Reiter's Syndrome - this is linked with arthritis and is a combination of conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the delicate membrane lining the eyelids and urethritis, or inflammation of the tube draining the bladder.
• Fibrositis - often referred to as rheumatism, this is inflammation and soreness of the tissue of the body, as opposed to the joints specifically.

Pure cod liver oil has been used to treat arthritis for a very long time. A number of scientific papers have been published recently, reporting favorable results on rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with fish oil. The combination of EPA, DHA and vitamins A, D, and E, present in cod liver oil has the ability to reduce inflammation as well as relieve the pain, swelling and stiffness commonly associated with arthritis. How it does is not yet clear, but it is thought to work by altering the balance of the hormone like substances produced by the body.