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Arthrites

Medicine and Health

What is arthritis?

Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are common conditions that cause pain, swelling, and limited movement. They a ect joints and connective tissues around the body. Millions of people in the U.S. have some form of arthritis.

Arthritis means redness and swelling (in ammation) of a joint. A joint is where 2 or more bones meet. There are more than 100 di erent arthritis diseases. Rheumatic diseases include any condition that causes pain, sti ness, and swelling in joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones. Arthritis is usually ongoing (chronic).

Arthritis and oter rheumatic diseases are more common in women than men. These conditions are often found in older people. But people of all ages may be a ected.

The 2 most common forms of arthritis are:

  • Osteoarthritis. This is the most common type of arthritis. It is a chronic disease of the joints, especially the weight-bearing joints of the knee, hip, and spine. It destroys the padding on the ends of bones (cartilage) and narrows the joint space. It can also cause bone overgrowth, bone spurs, and reduced function. It occurs in most peopleas they age. It may also occurin young peoplefrom an injuryor overuse.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease that causes in ammation in the joint linings. The in ammation may a ect all the joints. It can also a ect organs, such as the heart or lungs.
  • Other forms of arthritis or related disorders include:
  • Gout. This condition causes uric acid crystals to build up in small joints, such as the big toe. It causes pain and in ammation.
  • Lupus. This is a chronic autoimmune disorder. It causes periods of in ammation and damage in joints, tendons, and organs.
  • Scleroderma. This autoimmune disease causes thickening and hardening of the skin and other connective tissue in the body.
  • Ankylosing spondylitis. This disease causes the bones of the spine to grow together. It can also cause in ammation in other parts of the body. It can a ect the shoulders, hips, ribs, and the small joints of the hands and feet.
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). This is a form of arthritis in children that causes in ammation and joint sti ness. Children may have symptoms that come and go. Or the condition may go into full remission. Getting diagnosed and treated early may help prevent joint damage.

What causes arthritis?

The cause depends on the type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by the wear and tear of the joint over time or because of overuse. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma are caused by the body’s immune system attacking the body’s own tissues. Gout is caused by the buildup of crystals in the joints. Some forms of arthritis can be linked to genes. People with genetic marker HLA-B27have a higher risk for ankylosing spondylitis. For some other forms of arthritis, the causeis not known.

Who is at risk for arthritis?

  • Some risk factors for arthritis that can’t be changed include:
  • Age. The older you are, the more likely you are to have arthritis. Gender. Women are more likely to have arthritis than men.
  • Heredity. Some types of arthritis are linked to certain genes.
  • Risk factors that may be changed include:
    Weight. Being overweight or obese can damage your knee joints. This can make them more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
  • Injury. A joint that has been damaged by an injury is more likely to develop arthritis at some point.
  • Infection. Reactive arthritis can a  ect joints after an infection.
  • Your job. Work that involves repeated bending or squatting can lead to knee arthritis.

What are the symptoms of arthritis?

  • Each person’s symptoms may vary. The most common symptoms include:
  • Pain in 1 or more joints that doesn’t go away, or comes back
  • Warmth and redness in 1 or more joints
  • Swelling in 1 or more joints
  • Sti  nessin 1 or more joints
  • Trouble moving 1 or more joints in a normal way
  • These symptoms can look like other health conditions. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

How is arthritis diagnosed?

  • Your healthcare provider will take your medical history and give you a physical exam. Tests may also be done. These include blood tests such as: Antinuclear antibody(ANA) test. This checks antibodylevels in the blood.
  • Complete blood count (CBC). This checks if your white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet levels are normal.
  • Creatinine. This test checks for kidney disease.
  • Sedimentation rate. This test can nd in ammation.
  • Hematocrit. This test measures the number of red blood cells.
  • RF (rheumatoid factor) and CCP (cyclic citrullinated peptide) antibody tests. These can help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis.
  • White blood cell count. This checks the level of white blood cells in your blood.
  • Uric acid. This helps diagnose gout.
  • Other tests may be done, such as:
  • Joint aspiration(arthrocentesis). A small sample of synovial uid is taken from a joint. It's tested to see if crystals or bacteria are present.
  • X-rays or other imaging tests. These can tell how damaged a joint is.
  • Urine test. This checks for protein and di  erent kinds of blood cells.
  • HLA tissue typing. This looks for genetic markers of ankylosing spondylitis.
  • Skin biopsy. Tiny tissue samples are removed and checked under a microscope. This test helps to diagnose a type of arthritis that involves the skin, such as lupus or psoriatic arthritis.
  • Muscle biopsy. Tiny tissue samples are removed and checked under a microscope. This test helps to diagnose conditions that a ect muscles.

How is arthritis treated?


Treatment will depend on your symptoms, your age, and your general health. It will also depend on what type of arthritis you have and how severe the condition is. A treatment plan is tailored to each person with their healthcare provider.

There is no known cure for arthritis. The goal of treatment is often to limit pain and in ammation and to help the joint work. Treatment plans often use both short-term and long- term methods.

Short-term treatments include:

  • Medicines. Short-term relief for pain and in ammation may include pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-in ammatory medicines (NSAIDs).
  • Heat and cold. Pain may be eased by using moist heat (warm bath or shower)or dry heat (heating pad) on the joint. Pain and swelling may be eased with cold (ice pack wrapped in a thin towel) on the joint.
  • Joint immobilization. Using a splint or brace can help a joint rest and protect it from more injury.
  • Massage. Lightly massaging painful muscles may increase blood ow and bring warmth to the muscle.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Pain may be eased with a TENS device. The devices ends mild, electrical pulses to nerve endings in the painful area. This blocks pain signals to the brain and change show you feel pain.
  • Acupuncture. Thin needles are inserted at certain points in the body. It may help the release of natural pain-relieving chemicals made by the nervous system. The procedure is done by a licensed healthcare provider.

Long-term treatments include:

  • Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These prescription medicines may slow down the disease and treat any immune system problems linked to the disease.
    Examples of these medicines include methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, and chlorambucil.
  • Examples of these medicines include methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, and chlorambucil.
  • Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids reduce in ammation and swelling. These medicines, such as prednisone, can be taken by mouth (orally)or as a shot.
  • Hyaluronic acid therapy. This is a joint uid that appears to break down in people with osteoarthritis. It can be injected into a joint, such as the knee to help ease symptoms.
  • Surgery. There are many types of surgery depending on which joints are a ected. Surgery may include arthroscopy, fusion, or joint replacement. Full recovery aftersurgery may takeup to 6 months. A rehabilitation program after surgery is an important part of the treatment.

Arthritis treatment can include a team of healthcare providers, such as:

  • Orthopedist or orthopedic surgeon
  • Rheumatologist
  • Physiatrist
  • Primary care provider(family medicine or internal medicine)
  • Rehabilitation nurse
  • Dietitian
  • Physical therapist
  • Occupational therapist
  • Social worker
  • Psychologist or psychiatrist