We often refer to arthritis as if it’s one condition, but there are actually over 100 different types of arthritis. Arthritis is an umbrella term for chronic pain conditions that cause inflammation, swelling, stiffness, loss of mobility and other conditions within and around joints. Read on to find out more about the different types of arthritis and how to manage them.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition which occurs when the cartilage (the flexible, connective tissue that cushions your joints and bones and stops them rubbing together) breaks down. This can cause pain, inflammation and stiffness. Osteoarthritis comes in 4 stages ranging from mild to severe. Osteoarthritis can be managed with lifestyle changes, exercise and over the counter medication. Surgery may be recommended in severe cases. “Keeping active is important,” says Kieran Sheridan, Physiotherapist, Founder & Co-owner of GulfPhysio. “Doing gentle exercises like walking or swimming helps make muscles around joints stronger and brings less discomfort.”
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune response – which usually triggers inflammation to help fight illness, bacteria and infection – becomes overactive and starts attacking healthy tissue like the lining of your joints. As this is an autoimmune condition it can also attack things that aren’t joints, such as the skin, muscles, heart and lungs. “RA can make joints feel hot, swollen, and not easy to move, especially early in the day,” says Kieran Sheridan. “It often affects many joints together—like both knees or both hands. Doctors may give you medicine to help your immune system relax and stop it from attacking joints.”
Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes flakey patches of skin that can become itchy and scaly. It affects 2 in 100 people in the UK. Psoriatic arthritis affects some people who experience psoriasis and it is characterised by stiffness, swelling and joint pain. Most people who develop psoriatic arthritis have already had psoriasis the skin condition for a number of years (and psoriasis is the most common risk factor for developing psoriatic arthritis), but some people may develop arthritic symptoms at the same time or may actually experience the arthritis before the skin condition.
“PsA can give you pain and stiffness, mainly in fingers, toes, and lower back,” says Kieran Sheridan. “Sometimes your fingers or toes might get swollen so they look like sausages.” Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune condition. There is no cure, but it can be managed by treating the existing inflammation.
Gout
“Gout is a form of arthritis that happens quickly and causes very strong pain, often in the big toe,” says Kieran Sheridan. “It occurs because there is too much uric acid in the body, which creates sharp crystals inside joints.” An attack of gout can come on suddenly and without warning and it can feel like the area in question is on fire. The pain is usually most intense for the first 12 hours of the attack, but discomfort may linger for a few days or even a few weeks. If left untreated, further gout attacks may lead to more joints being affected for a longer period of time.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
“Ankylosing spondylitis is a kind of arthritis that mostly impacts the spine,” says Kieran Sheridan. “As time passes, it can make the bones in the spine join together, causing your back to become rigid and painful.” AS is an inflammatory condition which typically affects young adults. Early symptoms include back pain and stiffness in the lower back and hips – this stiffness may be worse in the mornings and after sedentary periods. The inflammation can also affect other parts of the body, including the eyes. There is no cure, but it’s important to get treatment to reduce symptoms and slow the progress of the condition.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common form of arthritis in children and teenagers. It is an autoimmune condition and causes joint pain and inflammation typically in the elbows, wrists, knees, hands and ankles, although it can affect other body parts too. Other JIA symptoms include joints that are swollen and/or warm, fatigue, fever, blurry vision and rash. “JIA can change how a child grows and develops,” says Kieran Sheridan. “This can make them feel stiff, particularly in the morning or after they have been sitting for too long.” While people don’t ‘grow out’ of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, their condition can go into remission with early treatment.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that causes widespread pain all over the body. In addition to the pain, people with fibromyalgia may have increased sensitivity to pain, difficulty sleeping or falling asleep, fatigue, muscle stiffness, ‘fibro-fog’ which can make it difficult to concentrate, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and/or low mood. Symptoms can lessen or worsen with fibromyalgia and, while the cause is not known, it appears to be triggered by physical and emotional factors such as stress and illness. While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, many people find that talking therapy and exercise can help them manage their symptoms.
Lupus
Lupus (sometimes referred to as (systemic lupus erythematosus) is an autoimmune disorder. “Lupus is a disease where your immune system mistakenly attacks different parts of your body, such as joints,” says Kieran Sheridan. Lupus manifests differently for different people. People with lupus may experience joint pain, muscle pain, extreme tiredness which persists no matter how much sleep they have, and coming out in rashes after being in the sun. Other symptoms can include headaches, mouth ulcers, hair loss, weight loss, swollen glands and depression and/or anxiety. Lupus often involves flare-ups, so symptoms may be worse for a few weeks and then go into remission where they appear milder, although some people experience their symptoms constantly.
Reactive arthritis
“Reactive arthritis can come after an infection, usually in the urinary or digestive system,” says Kieran Sheridan. “This causes joint pain and swelling.” Reactive arthritis is basically an uncommon reaction triggered by another infection in the body, which can include a sexually transmitted infection or food poisoning. It causes inflammatory pain, swelling and stiffness around various joints in the body, especially the hands, feet, toes, knees and hips. Reactive arthritis usually goes away within a few months and doesn’t cause long term damage. People with the HLA-B27 gene are more likely to develop reactive arthritis – and we don’t know why.
Septic arthritis
Septic arthritis is a serious infection of the synovial fluid and joint tissue which can occur if germs get into one of your joints. Symptoms can include fever, swelling, joint pain, redness and warmth around the joint. This can happen after an injury or accident, after a complication with surgery or if germs from other parts of the body are spread to the joint by blood. If you start experiencing these symptoms after an injury – or if you have any reason to believe your joint area may have been infected – seek help immediately. When treated quickly you can make a full recovery, but if left too long septic arthritis can permanently damage the infected joint. People with existing joint problems, artificial limbs, those taking immunosuppressive medication and people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of septic arthritis.
Thumb arthritis
“Thumb arthritis impacts the joint located at the base of your thumb,” says Kieran Sheridan. “This condition causes pain and stiffness, which can make it hard to use your hand properly.” Thumb arthritis can occur when the cartilage (the cushioning connective tissue that stops the joint and bone rubbing against each other) wears away . This can lead to a loss of mobility in the thumb which can make every day tasks like opening jars or using keys painful and difficult. Symptoms of thumb arthritis include swelling, stiffness and tenderness at the base of the thumb, less strength when using the thumb, loss of mobility in the thumb, and the thumb looking enlarged or bony. Speak to a doctor if you suspect you might have thumb arthritis as there are things that can help, including medication, splints and in severe cases surgery.
These are some of the most common forms of arthritis, but there are many more. Is there one you’d have liked us to include? Let us know on Facebook!
