In any field, there is a lot of jargon tossed about. Even the word jargon is, in itself, jargon. Jargon1How many times am I going to say the word? Your guess is as good as mine. is a word or phrase that is used frequently in a particular context or field, but is rarely used otherwise. Jargon usually has a very specific definition and use. People who are in that context understand what it means, but people outside of that context typically do not.
In my university program, we practiced both academic writing, where specificity was key, and how to write for the general public. When writing academic papers, you use words that would be jargon to the general public – because in academic papers, everyone is in the same field. We speak the same language.
Though I try to write in plain language as much as possible here, to avoid the use of jargon, sometimes it is unavoidable. A different word or phrase would result in a different meaning.
Additionally, some jargon is used outside of its typical context. But once taken out of its natural habitat, the words are either misused or misunderstood. For example, people use the word inflammation a lot in the online health and wellness world. But not everyone uses the word correctly. And fewer still really understand inflammation (I say that as someone who has been focusing and learning about it as much as I can and I still see how much I have yet to learn).
So I have taken it upon myself to write a glossary of all the jargon and misunderstood words that I use on this site. As I identify these words (or you point them out to me), I will add another entry.
If you have any suggestions for terms that I should include, please do not hesitate to comment!
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Inflammation: Inflammation is a natural and necessary process in our body. Inflammation helps us to heal from injuries and to fight off infections. It is the result of the activities of our immune system.
Inflammatory Arthritis: The most common types of inflammatory arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Intuition: Intuition is your unconscious pattern recognition; simple definition, complex idea.
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Psoriatic Arthritis: Psoriatic arthritis is arthritis related to psoriasis. It is a type of inflammatory arthritis and a type of spondylitis. You may see it shortened to PsA in some places.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of joints, and like the other types of inflammatory arthritis, it is an auto-immune inflammatory arthritis.
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Spondylitis: Spondylitis is the term used to describe several types of inflammatory arthritis. In medical speak, spondylitis translates to “inflammation of the spine.” Spondylitis conditions can also affect the eyes, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. It also includes arthritis conditions that affect the peripheral joints (i.e. not the spine) that are not rheumatoid arthritis.