Arthritis is defined as inflammation of the joint. It is derived from the Greek word “Arthro” meaning joint and “itis” meaning inflammation. It is a major cause of disability amongst the patients.
Arthritis may be categorized into more than 100 different types. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, gout, psoriatic arthritis, childhood arthritis, lupus, and many more are there in the list.
Arthritis may be associated with a variety of causes such as bacterial infection, joint overuse or injury, genetic defect or immune response depending on the type of the disease.
Most common symptoms of arthritis include pain, inflammation of the joint, and restricted mobility.
7 Most Common Types Of Arthritis With Symptoms Associated:
Although there are numerous types of arthritis common types include:
1. Osteoarthritis:
- This is the most common type of arthritis amongst the population above 50.
- It is a progressive degenerative disorder, occurs due to wear and tear of the joint and there is no permanent treatment but the pain can be managed with exercise, pain killers(NSAIDs), topical ointments etc.
- It involves pain and inflammation of joints, reduced range of mobility, degeneration of the cartilage and reduction of the joint space.
- Risk factors of osteoarthritis may include age, female gender, joint injury, weight, muscle weakness.
- It may be classified as primary and secondary osteoarthritis.
- Primary osteoarthritis is not associated with any previous trauma and injury whereas secondary osteoarthritis may be associated with a predisposed trauma.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis:
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder.
- It is caused when the body’s immune system starts attacking its tissue presuming it to be a foreign invader.
- This can cause damage to the joint leading to pain, inflammation, stiffness of the joint, and a reduced range of motion.
- Risk factors include modifiable (smoking, obesity) and nonmodifiable (genetics, female gender, and age).
3. Fibromyalgia:
- Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder throughout the body.
- Its etiology and pathophysiology isn’t well known.
- It is said to be a neurosensory disorder and the patient has problem with perception of pain.
- The pain is triggered by various psychological and physical stressors.
- Symptoms include widespread musculoskeletal pain, constant fatigue, cognitive disturbances, anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal syndromes and more.
- Unfortunately, it is difficult to diagnose fibromyalgia and best treatment involves multiple experts working together including orthopedic, psychologist, psychiatrist and physiotherapist.
4. Gout:
- A gout is a form of inflammatory joint osteoarthritis.
- It is associated with the accumulation of uric acid crystals around the joint leading to intense flare of pain termed a gout attack which occurs as episodes and then resolves.
- With increasing stage, it can lead to permanent damage to joints and kidneys.
- Risk factors include advanced age, sex, genetics, dietary choices, lead exposure, weight, medications, and other health conditions such as kidney disorders.
- Various types of gout include:
|
Type
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Characteristic
|
|
Acute gout
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- Acute inflammation and intense pain
- Lasts about 3 days to 2 weeks
- Stress and excessive alcohol consumption contribute to these attacks and flares
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Interval or intercritical gout
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- Acute gout occurs at short intervals and these intervals become shorter overtime
- In these intervals uric acid crystals continue to accumulate in tissues
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|
Chronic tophaceous gout
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- Worst type
- Permanent damage to joints and kidney
- Occurs after many years of acute attacks
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|
Pseudogout
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- Similar condition to gout
- Developed due to deposition of calcium pyrophosphate
- Flare ups are less severe to gout
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5. Psoriatic arthritis:
- Psoriatic arthritis is associated with psoriasis which is a skin condition associated with the skin and nails. Inflammation of the joint occurs along with a rash.
- Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include scaly inflamed patches of skin, joint stiffness, pain swelling, fatigue, inflammatory bowel syndrome, eye inflammation, nail changes and more.
- Risk factors include genes, obesity, infection, injury or stress.
6. Childhood Arthritis:
- Also known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis(JIA) occurs in children and teens. It is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own tissue.
- It should be present from about 6 weeks before its diagnosis.
- It may be classified as the into following types:
|
Type
|
Characteristics
|
|
Systemic articular JIA
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- Affects one or more joints
- Skin rash and high fever
- May cause swelling of internal organs such as heart, liver, spleen, lymph nodes,
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Oligoarticular JIA
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- If affects 1 to 4 joints in first 6 months of disease and no joints are affected afterwards, it is called persistent
- If more joints are affected it is called extended
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Polyarticular JIA
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- Affects 5 or more joints in first 6 months of disease
- Blood test for Rheumatoid Factor performed to see if type is RF-Positive or RF-Negative.
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Enthesitis-related JIA
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- Child has both arthritis and enthesitis
- Swelling of tissue where bone meets ligament
- Often affects hips, knees and feet.
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|
Psoriatic arthritis JIA
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- Child has both arthritis and psoriasis
- Inflammation of finger or toe
- Pits or ridges in fingernails
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Undifferentiated JIA
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- Comprises of 2 or more JIA or might not match with any type of JIA
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7. Lupus:
- Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease which affects multiple organ systems.
- The condition involves loss of self tolerance and abnormal immune function which lead to the production of immune complexes which might affect the organ systems adversely.
- There are 4 main types of lupus:
|
Type
|
Characteristic
|
|
Neonatal lupus erythematosus
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- Rare form
- Affects skin, liver and heart
- May resolve after 4 to 6 months
|
|
Discoid lupus erythematosus
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- Scaly, red coin shaped patches of skin
- May progress to systematic lupus erythematosus
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|
Drug-Induced
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- Occurs due to autoimmune response triggered by a medication
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Systematic lupus erythematosus
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- Most common type of lupus
- Fever, headache, rashes
- Rash, pain and inflammation of joints, fatigue
- Multiple organ systems affected
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Arthritis Overview & Treatment Management Guide
Check 5 step detailed guide on Arthritis Overview & Treatment Management.
Summary:
Arthritis is a very debilitating disorder. Although it isn’t curable it can be managed well with the help of medication, physical therapy and lifestyle changes. Early diagnosis can help in prevent further deterioration of the disease and better management of the condition.
Check Drlogy's Arthritis Overview & Treatment Management Guide for detailed arthritis treatment information and solution related to this diseases.
References:
- Arthritis - PubMed. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2024, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30085534/
- Bhargava, J., & Hurley, J. A. (2023). Fibromyalgia. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK540974/
- Gout: Symptoms, causes, and treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2024, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144827#types
- Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2024, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/arthritis/juvenile-idiopathic-arthritis
- Maidhof, W., & Hilas, O. (2012). Lupus: An Overview of the Disease And Management Options. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 37(4), 240. /pmc/articles/PMC3351863/, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3351863/
- Osteoarthritis - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482326/
- Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms & Diagnosis | NIAMS. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2024, from https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/psoriatic-arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2024, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rheumatoid-arthritis
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