Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of ArthritisSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPsychological EffectsDaily Arthritis ManagementNext in Arthritis GuideCauses and Risk Factors of Arthritis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Arthritis
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Psychological Effects
Daily Arthritis Management
Next in Arthritis Guide
Arthritisis an umbrella term for disorders that affect the joints, typically leading to joint pain and inflammation.There are different types of arthritis, and any joint in the body can be affected. Certain types of arthritis affect other body parts as well, such as the eyes or internal organs.
Arthritis is common and is the leading cause of disability in the United States.This article discusses different types of arthritis and its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options.
SimpleImages / Getty Images
“Arthritis” is a general term that describes around 100 conditions affecting the joints.Of these, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common.
Types of arthritisinclude:
Rheumatic Diseases and Their Impact on Your Body
What Are the Symptoms of Arthritis?
Some symptoms are common to all types of arthritis. These include:
Each type of arthritis has unique symptoms. For example, osteoarthritis can affect a joint on one side of the body, but rheumatoid arthritis causes symmetrical symptoms, often affecting the same joints on both sides of the body at the same time.
Osteoarthritis Symptoms
Osteoarthritis can also cause:
Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can include:
Osteoarthritis vs. Arthritis: What’s the Difference?
What Causes Arthritis?
Osteoarthritis has long been called wear-and-tear arthritis, although there are also other processes believed to be involved, including inflammation and genetics.
Several types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis,axial spondyloarthritis, and juvenile arthritis, are autoimmune inflammatory diseases.They occur because the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, resulting in ongoing inflammation and destruction of the joints. As systemic illnesses, they often produce effects in other parts of the body as well.
Certain risk factors can increase your chances of developing arthritis.
Factors that contribute to osteoarthritis include:
Factorscontributing to rheumatoid arthritis include:
Although many factors can increase your risk of rheumatoid arthritis, certain characteristics, including having breastfed, can decrease the risk of developing this condition.
How Is Arthritis Diagnosed?
Diagnosis of arthritis begins with a physical exam and a review of your symptoms.
Imaging tests help diagnose arthritis and determine the extent of joint damage. These can include:
Blood tests, such as the following, may be performed, which can help determine whether an inflammatory or autoimmune type of arthritis is present:
Arthrocentesis—joint aspiration—can also analyze fluid from the affected joints to look for crystals (associated with gout) or bacteria.
How Is Arthritis Treated?
Arthritis is commonlytreatedwith medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and in severe cases, surgery. The goal of arthritis treatment is symptom remission, not a quick fix or a cure. Many types of arthritisare progressive. Getting treatment and managing the condition is important for maintaining your mobility and quality of life.
Medications
Various over-the-counter (OTC) medications are available for treating inflammation from arthritis, includingnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)such as:
Tylenol (acetaminophen) and topical creams such as the NSAID Voltaren (diclofenac) can also decrease pain. For more severe arthritis pain,prescription NSAIDs, oral steroids, orsteroid injectionsmight be needed.
In addition to NSAIDs, a flare of gout may be treated withColcrys (colchicine). Some people with gout may also be treated long-term with medications that reduce uric acid.
Rheumatoid arthritis,ankylosing spondylitis,psoriatic arthritis, andjuvenile idiopathic arthritisare also treated with medications such asdisease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)andbiologics.
Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
Physical and occupational therapy can help reduce pain and improve function for people with arthritis.
Physical therapyinterventions can include:
Occupational therapyinterventions can include:
Surgery
Depending on the severity of your arthritis, a healthcare provider may considersurgeryas a treatment option.
Common procedures include:
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Arthritis
Various complementary and alternative medicine interventions are used to help treat arthritis symptoms. However, more research is needed to prove that these treatments are effective. Examples include:
Psychological Effects of Arthritis
In addition to physical symptoms, living with arthritis can lead to mental health challenges, such as depression and anxiety.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing symptoms such as:
Treatments like therapy and medications can help you cope with these symptoms and improve your overall quality of life. Seek immediate medical attention if you have thoughts of suicide.
Arthritis symptoms can fluctuate from day to day. Listen to your body, schedule tasks for the time of day you typically feel the best, and rest when you are tired. Work with a healthcare provider to make a plan forarthritis flares. Strategies could include:
Incorporating healthy sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress management can help you maintain your overall health and reduce the severity of flare-ups when they occur.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: From Beginning Symptoms to Treatment
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Arthritis basics.Arthritis Foundation.What is arthritis?Harvard Health Publishing.Arthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arthritis diagnosis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Gout.Arthritis Foundation.Medications for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Occupational therapy for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Understand your joint surgery options.Manheimer E, Cheng K, Wieland LS, et al.Acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(5):CD013010. doi:10.1002%2F14651858.CD013010Zeng L, Yang T, Yang K, et al.Efficacy and safety of curcumin and curcuma longa extract in the treatment of arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.Front Immunol. 2022;13:891822. doi:10.3389%2Ffimmu.2022.891822Greysen HM, Hong OS, Lee KA, Katz P.The association between yoga use, physical function, and employment in adults with rheumatoid arthritis.Holist Nurs Pract. 2019;33(2):71-79. doi:10.1097%2FHNP.0000000000000296Ali A, Rosenberger L, Weiss TR, Milak C, Perlman AI.Massage therapy and quality of life in osteoarthritis of the knee: a qualitative study.Pain Med. 2017;18(6):1168-1175. doi:10.1093%2Fpm%2Fpnw217Fragoulis GE, Cavanagh J, Tindell A, et al.Depression and anxiety in an early rheumatoid arthritis inception cohort. associations with demographic, socioeconomic and disease features.RMD Open. 2020;6(3):e001376. doi:10.1136%2Frmdopen-2020-001376Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The arthritis-mental health connection.Arthritis Foundation.Coping with an arthritis flare.
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Arthritis basics.Arthritis Foundation.What is arthritis?Harvard Health Publishing.Arthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arthritis diagnosis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Gout.Arthritis Foundation.Medications for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Occupational therapy for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Understand your joint surgery options.Manheimer E, Cheng K, Wieland LS, et al.Acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(5):CD013010. doi:10.1002%2F14651858.CD013010Zeng L, Yang T, Yang K, et al.Efficacy and safety of curcumin and curcuma longa extract in the treatment of arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.Front Immunol. 2022;13:891822. doi:10.3389%2Ffimmu.2022.891822Greysen HM, Hong OS, Lee KA, Katz P.The association between yoga use, physical function, and employment in adults with rheumatoid arthritis.Holist Nurs Pract. 2019;33(2):71-79. doi:10.1097%2FHNP.0000000000000296Ali A, Rosenberger L, Weiss TR, Milak C, Perlman AI.Massage therapy and quality of life in osteoarthritis of the knee: a qualitative study.Pain Med. 2017;18(6):1168-1175. doi:10.1093%2Fpm%2Fpnw217Fragoulis GE, Cavanagh J, Tindell A, et al.Depression and anxiety in an early rheumatoid arthritis inception cohort. associations with demographic, socioeconomic and disease features.RMD Open. 2020;6(3):e001376. doi:10.1136%2Frmdopen-2020-001376Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The arthritis-mental health connection.Arthritis Foundation.Coping with an arthritis flare.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Arthritis basics.Arthritis Foundation.What is arthritis?Harvard Health Publishing.Arthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arthritis diagnosis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Gout.Arthritis Foundation.Medications for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Occupational therapy for arthritis.Arthritis Foundation.Understand your joint surgery options.Manheimer E, Cheng K, Wieland LS, et al.Acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(5):CD013010. doi:10.1002%2F14651858.CD013010Zeng L, Yang T, Yang K, et al.Efficacy and safety of curcumin and curcuma longa extract in the treatment of arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.Front Immunol. 2022;13:891822. doi:10.3389%2Ffimmu.2022.891822Greysen HM, Hong OS, Lee KA, Katz P.The association between yoga use, physical function, and employment in adults with rheumatoid arthritis.Holist Nurs Pract. 2019;33(2):71-79. doi:10.1097%2FHNP.0000000000000296Ali A, Rosenberger L, Weiss TR, Milak C, Perlman AI.Massage therapy and quality of life in osteoarthritis of the knee: a qualitative study.Pain Med. 2017;18(6):1168-1175. doi:10.1093%2Fpm%2Fpnw217Fragoulis GE, Cavanagh J, Tindell A, et al.Depression and anxiety in an early rheumatoid arthritis inception cohort. associations with demographic, socioeconomic and disease features.RMD Open. 2020;6(3):e001376. doi:10.1136%2Frmdopen-2020-001376Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The arthritis-mental health connection.Arthritis Foundation.Coping with an arthritis flare.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Arthritis basics.
Arthritis Foundation.What is arthritis?
Harvard Health Publishing.Arthritis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arthritis diagnosis.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Gout.
Arthritis Foundation.Medications for arthritis.
Arthritis Foundation.Physical therapy for arthritis.
Arthritis Foundation.Occupational therapy for arthritis.
Arthritis Foundation.Understand your joint surgery options.
Manheimer E, Cheng K, Wieland LS, et al.Acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2018(5):CD013010. doi:10.1002%2F14651858.CD013010
Zeng L, Yang T, Yang K, et al.Efficacy and safety of curcumin and curcuma longa extract in the treatment of arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.Front Immunol. 2022;13:891822. doi:10.3389%2Ffimmu.2022.891822
Greysen HM, Hong OS, Lee KA, Katz P.The association between yoga use, physical function, and employment in adults with rheumatoid arthritis.Holist Nurs Pract. 2019;33(2):71-79. doi:10.1097%2FHNP.0000000000000296
Ali A, Rosenberger L, Weiss TR, Milak C, Perlman AI.Massage therapy and quality of life in osteoarthritis of the knee: a qualitative study.Pain Med. 2017;18(6):1168-1175. doi:10.1093%2Fpm%2Fpnw217
Fragoulis GE, Cavanagh J, Tindell A, et al.Depression and anxiety in an early rheumatoid arthritis inception cohort. associations with demographic, socioeconomic and disease features.RMD Open. 2020;6(3):e001376. doi:10.1136%2Frmdopen-2020-001376
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The arthritis-mental health connection.
Arthritis Foundation.Coping with an arthritis flare.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
