Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of ArthritisDiagnosisTreatmentManagement
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Arthritis
Diagnosis
Treatment
Management
Joint pain on one side of the body may be an indication of arthritis. Arthritis refers to a group of diseases that cause inflammation and swelling of one or more joints. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, with the most common types beingosteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis, andpsoriatic arthritis.
Symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis but usually include joint pain and stiffness. Joint pain can either occur symmetrically, affecting both sides of the body, or asymmetrically, causing unilateral symptoms, which only affect one side of your body.
This article explains the types of arthritis that cause asymmetric joint pain, diagnostic criteria and tests, as well as treatment and management options.
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Types of Arthritis That Cause Asymmetric Joint Pain
You may have arthritis on one side of your body if the muscles on that side are weaker and cannot adequately support your joints, leading to increased joint pressure and cartilage breakdown. Alternatively, arthritis may also develop on one side of your body if you repetitively use one side more than the other, especially your dominant hand, since repetitive activities put chronic stress on joints that can wear down cartilage over time.
Osteoarthritis
OA can affect any joint, although it is most common in the back and spine, hips, knees, neck and shoulders, and fingers and hands. Anyone who overuses their joints, including athletes, military personnel, and those with physically demanding jobs, may be at an increased risk of developing arthritis.
Cartilageis a form of connective tissue that covers the end of each bone in the body and provides cushioning and shock absorption to the joints, allowing them to move smoothly. In OA, cartilage breaks down over time, causing pain and increased difficulty moving the joints.
Bones may begin to break down with worsening arthritis, resulting in painful bone growth calledbone spurs, or osteophytes, which can cause further damage to the cartilage.
In severe OA, the cartilage wears down so much that bone rubs directly against bone with movement of the joints, causing increased pain, inflammation, and joint damage.
Osteoarthritis often begins unilaterally, affecting one side of the body, but it can progress to both sides of the body over time. The side that you develop OA on may be either your weaker side or the side that you use more often with movements and daily activities, especially your dominant hand.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Most people noticesymptoms of psoriasis, particularly dry, scaly skinplaques, before experiencing psoriasis-related joint pain. About 30% of patients diagnosed with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune, inflammatory form of arthritis where the body produces autoantibodies that attack its own joints. Of these cases, asymmetric psoriatic arthritis, also called asymmetric oligoarthritis, makes up about 60% of all cases of psoriatic arthritis.
If you have already been diagnosed with psoriasis, the first signs of psoriatic arthritis typically include joint pain, warmth, and swelling, especially in the hands and feet;nail changessuch as pitting and separation; and accompanying fatigue. Psoriatic arthritis can affect the joints of the entire body and result in permanent joint damage if left untreated.
Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis can be either symmetric or asymmetric, and joint pain most commonly occurs in the hands, feet, and low back. Sometimes symptoms start on one side and then progress to affect both sides of your body.
Medications may help reduce symptoms of psoriatic arthritis like joint pain and inflammation and prevent disease progression. Treatment is aimed at promoting remission and preventing joint damage.
What Is Symmetric Psoriatic Arthritis?
Reactive Arthritis
This form of arthritis occurs as a reaction to something else, such as a bacterial infection in the digestive or urinary tract or the genitals. You usually won’t start to have symptoms ofreactive arthritisuntil after you’ve healed from the infection. You may get one or more of the following symptoms if you develop reactive arthritis:
Diagnosing Joint Pain on One Side of the Body
The prognosis for those diagnosed with arthritis becomes worse the longer your condition goes untreated, so it is important to seek medical attention if you think you have symptoms of arthritis.
Diagnostic Tests
A physical exam combined with a review of your medical history, symptoms, andX-rayimaging are used to confirm a diagnosis of arthritis and identify the affected joints.MRIscan give your healthcare provider a clearer look at your cartilage and other parts of the affected joints.
Your healthcare provider may performjoint aspiration, where a needle is inserted into the joint to extract synovial fluid, a thick liquid between your joints. The results of this test can help rule out other conditions or forms of arthritis.
Your provider may check for symptoms of psoriasis to determine if you have psoriatic arthritis. Signs of psoriasis often appear on the skin first before joint symptoms begin and include:
Blood tests that examine yourerythrocyte sedimentation rateand levels ofC-reactive proteincan help confirm a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis since these markers are typically elevated with this condition.
You may also have bloodwork that examines yourrheumatoid factorto rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune type of arthritis that usually occurs symmetrically on both sides of the body.
You may be referred to arheumatologist, a specialized internal medicine doctor who treats inflammatory conditions of the joints if psoriatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis is suspected.
Difference Between Psoriatic Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Both conditions are autoimmune, inflammatory types of arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis, however, develops only in patients who also have psoriasis, an inflammatory condition of the skin that causes dry, scaly plaques. Psoriatic arthritis also often affects your nails, eyes, and tendons.
Unlike psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis often causes elevated levels of rheumatoid factor in the blood. Rheumatoid arthritis is symmetric. You’ll have the samesymptoms of rheumatoid arthritison both sides of your body, like both hands or both knees.
Should You See a Rheumatologist for Osteoarthritis?
Treating Asymmetric Arthirits
Symptoms of arthritis can worsen over time if left untreated. If you have been experiencing chronic joint pain, stiffness, decreased mobility, or swelling for more than three months, seeing a healthcare provider to address your symptoms is important.
Management of your condition is crucial to preventing disease progression and worsening of symptoms, which can significantly impact your ability to move your joints and complete your day-to-day activities.
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Treatment options for managing your arthritis symptoms include:
Reasons to Wear Arthritis Gloves
Managing Joint Pain on One Side of the Body
Tips for a healthy lifestyle include:
Is Walking Good for Hip Arthritis?
Summary
Some forms of arthritis cause asymmetric symptoms. Osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and reactive arthritis can all cause joint pain and stiffness on one side of your body, sometimes progressing to both.
Strengthening the muscles surrounding arthritic joints is essential for decreasing strain on your joints and preventing arthritis from progressing. It is important to seek medical attention if you have been experiencing joint pain, stiffness, or swelling for more than three months. In addition to medical treatment, healthy lifestyle habits can help you reduce inflammation and manage symptoms.
8 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.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Arthritis.
Dhir V, Aggarwal A.Psoriatic arthritis: a critical review.Clin Rev Allergy Immunol.2013;44(2):141-148. doi:10.1007/s12016-012-8302-6
Liu JT, Yeh HM, Liu SY, Chen KT.Psoriatic arthritis: epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment.World J Orthop. 2014;5(4):537-543. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i4.537
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Reactive arthritis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
National Center for Biotechnology Information.PubChem compound summary for CID 1548943, capsaicin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.5 proven ways to manage arthritis.
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