About Arthritis

Arthritis is a disease that causes damage in your joints. Joints are places in your body where two bones meet.

Some joints naturally wear down as you age. Lots of people develop arthritis after that normal, lifelong wear and tear. Some types of arthritis happen after injuries that damage a joint. Certain health conditions also cause arthritis.

Arthritis can affect any joint, but is most common in people’s:

• Hands and wrists.
• Knees.
• Hips.
• Feet and ankles.
• Shoulders.
• Lower back (lumbar spine).

A healthcare provider will help you find ways to manage symptoms like pain and stiffness. Some people with severe arthritis eventually need surgery to replace their affected joints.

Visit a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing joint pain that’s severe enough to affect your daily routine or if it feels like you can’t move or use your joints as well as usual.

Types of Arthritis

• Osteoarthritis (OA): "Wear-and-tear" cartilage degeneration, common in hands, knees, hips, and spine.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Autoimmune disease attacking joints, often symmetrically affecting hands, wrists, and knees.
• Gout: Uric acid crystal buildup causing sudden flares, typically in the big toe or lower limbs.
• Psoriatic Arthritis: Linked to psoriasis, affecting joints, skin, and nails.
• Ankylosing Spondylitis: Spinal inflammation leading to calcium buildup and reduced mobility.
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Chronic arthritis in children under 16.
• Reactive Arthritis: Post-infection joint inflammation, often resolving within months

What are arthritis symptoms and signs?

The most common arthritis symptoms and signs include:

• Joint pain.
• Stiffness or reduced range of motion (how far you can move a joint).
• Swelling (inflammation).
• Skin discoloration.
• Tenderness or sensitivity to touch around a joint.
• A feeling of heat or warmth near your joints.

Where you experience symptoms depends on which type of arthritis you have, and which of your joints it affects.

Some types of arthritis cause symptoms in waves that come and go called flares or flare-ups. Others make your joints feel painful or stiff all the time, or after being physically active.

• Joint deformity, such as misalignment or joint space narrowing, may occur in advanced OA or RA.
• Spinal fusion or stiffness in the back and hips can develop over time in ankylosing spondylitis, affecting posture and mobility.

What is the main cause of arthritis?

What causes arthritis varies depending on which type you have:

• Osteoarthritis happens naturally as you age, a lifetime of using your joints can eventually wear down their cartilage cushioning.
• You may develop gout if you have too much uric acid in your blood (hyperuricemia).
• Your immune system can cause arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis) when it damages your joints by mistake.
• Certain viral infections (including COVID-19) can trigger viral arthritis.
• Sometimes, arthritis happens with no cause or trigger. Providers call this idiopathic arthritis.

What are the risk factors of arthritis?

Anyone can develop arthritis, but some factors may make you more likely to, including:

• Tobacco use: Smoking and using other tobacco products increases your risk.
• Family history: People whose biological family members have arthritis are more likely to develop it.
• Activity level: You might be more likely to have arthritis if you aren’t physically active regularly.
• Other health conditions: Having autoimmune diseases, obesity or any condition that affects your joints increases the chances you’ll develop arthritis.

Some people have a higher arthritis risk, including:

• People older than 50.
• Females.
• Athletes, especially those who play contact sports.
• People who have physically demanding jobs or do work that puts a lot of stress on their joints (standing, crouching, being on your hands and knees for a long time, etc.).

Diagnosis and Tests of Arthritis

A healthcare provider will diagnose arthritis with a physical exam. They’ll examine your affected joints and ask about your symptoms. Tell your provider when you first noticed symptoms like pain and stiffness, and if any activities or times of day make them worse.

Your provider will probably check your range of motion (how far you can move a joint). They may compare one joint’s range of motion to other, similar joints (your other knee, ankle or fingers, for example).

Arthritis tests

Your provider might use imaging tests to take pictures of your joints, including:

• X-ray.
• Ultrasound.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• A computed tomography (CT) scan.

These tests can help your provider see damage inside your joints. They can also help your provider rule out other injuries or issues that might cause similar symptoms, like bone fractures (broken bones).

Your provider may use blood tests to check your uric acid levels if they think you have gout. Blood tests can also show signs of infections or autoimmune diseases.

Treatment management.

Arthritis Treatment

• Medications:
  • NSAIDs/Corticosteroids: Reduce inflammation and pain.
  • DMARDs: Slow RA progression (e.g., methotrexate).
  • Biologics: Target TNF or interleukin-1 (RA, psoriatic).
• Lifestyle: Weight management (OA/gout), low-purine diet (gout).
• Surgery: Joint replacement (severe OA) or synovectomy (RA).
• Physical Therapy: Improves mobility and strengthens supporting muscles.

Prognosis: Most forms are manageable with early intervention, though autoimmune types (e.g., RA) require lifelong care

Note: Medication is only advisable under Doctor’s consideration.