Arthritis

Your joints can feel sore.

This happens when the smooth part in a joint wears away. Then, bones rub on each other. This can cause pain and stiffness.

Some joints might look red or feel warm.

This can make it hard to move. It can happen slowly as you get older. It can also happen very fast.

To feel better, you might rest a joint. You can also use heat or ice. Some people use medicine to help the pain.

Moving and staying strong can help too. This helps your joints carry your weight. It is good to take care of your body.

Arthritis is a word for joint problems.

Joints are where two bones meet. They have a smooth layer called cartilage. This layer stops bones from rubbing together. In arthritis, this layer is lost. Then, bone rubs on bone. This can cause pain and stiffness. It can also cause swelling, redness, or warmth.

There are different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type. It often happens as people age. It usually affects hips, knees, and fingers.

This type comes from wear and tear.

Another type is rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disorder. This means the body's immune system attacks its own parts. It often attacks the joint lining. This can cause swelling and pain in the hands and feet.

Some people also get gout. Gout happens when too much uric acid builds up. This makes crystals form in the joints. It often affects the big toe.

Other diseases like lupus can also cause joint pain. Lupus can even cause a skin rash.

Arthritis is a general name for many joint problems.

A joint is where two bones meet. These joints have a smooth layer called cartilage. This layer protects the bones from rubbing together. In arthritis, this smooth layer is lost. This causes bone to grind on bone during movement. This can lead to pain and stiffness. Other signs include redness, warmth, and swelling. Some people may even find it hard to move their joints.

There are many ways arthritis happens. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down from wear and tear. This often happens in joints that carry weight, like hips or knees. It can also affect fingers and shoulders. In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system makes a mistake. The immune system usually protects us from germs. In this case, it attacks the lining of the joint. This causes swelling and inflammation.

Another kind is called gout. Gout happens when too much uric acid builds up in the body. This creates tiny crystals in the joints. These crystals often settle in the big toe.

Doctors use different tools to study these conditions. They may use X-rays to see the bones. X-rays can show if the space between bones has become narrow. They can also show bone spurs. For rheumatoid arthritis, doctors might use blood tests. These tests look for specific markers of inflammation. They might also use CT scans or PET scans. These help doctors see more detail inside the body. A doctor will also look at how a person walks. They might check the skin for any rashes.

Many people around the world live with arthritis. In the United States, more than 20% of people have it. In Australia, about 15% of people are affected. Osteoarthritis is the most common form. It affects more than 3.8% of people. Rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common. It affects about 0.24% of people. Some diseases like lupus can also cause joint pain. About 90% of people with lupus have joint involvement. Arthritis often becomes more common as people get older.

Living with arthritis can change daily life. It can make it hard to do work or play. People might feel tired or have trouble sleeping. Some types can even affect other parts of the body. For example, lupus can cause hair loss or skin rashes. To help with pain, people might rest their joints. They might use heat or ice. Losing weight can also help reduce pressure on joints. Doctors may also give medicine to help with swelling. In very severe cases, a person might need joint replacement surgery.

Arthritis is a broad medical term used to describe joint disorders. The word comes from "arthr-", meaning joint, and "-itis", meaning inflammation.

In a healthy body, joints are lined with a smooth layer called cartilage. This cartilage prevents bones from rubbing together during movement. Arthritis occurs when this protective layer is lost. This leads to bone grinding on bone. This process causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. It can also cause redness and warmth around the joint. Some types of arthritis even affect organs outside the joints.

One major type is osteoarthritis, which is the most common form. This condition often results from long-term wear-and-tear or prior injury. As cartilage breaks down, the bones begin to erode each other. This often affects weight-bearing joints like the hips, knees, and back. It can also impact the fingers and shoulders.

Osteoarthritis is particularly common in older adults. This may be because aging chondrocytes, or cartilage cells, lose their ability to maintain the tissue. Over 30 percent of women have some degree of osteoarthritis by age 65.

Another significant type is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disorder. In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Specifically, it targets the articular cartilage at the ends of the bones. The attack often begins with inflammation of the synovium, the lining of the joint capsule. This inflammation is driven by pro-inflammatory cytokines and a protein called RANKL. This process can lead to severe bone erosion and progressive deformity.

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is often symmetrical, affecting both sides of the body.

Gout is a different type of inflammatory rheumatic disease. It is caused by the excessive production of uric acid in the body. This causes urate crystals to deposit within the joints. These crystals often settle in the extremities, such as the big toe.

During a gout flare, the joint becomes swollen, red, and very warm. The pain from these flares can be significant and debilitating. Other types of arthritis include septic arthritis, lupus, and psoriatic arthritis.

Systemic diseases like lupus can also cause significant joint issues. Lupus is an autoimmune collagen vascular disorder. About 90 percent of patients with lupus experience musculoskeletal involvement.

In these cases, symptoms might mimic rheumatoid arthritis with similar stiffness. However, lupus also causes other issues like extreme photosensitivity, hair loss, and kidney problems. Some people may also develop a characteristic malar, or butterfly, skin rash. This shows how arthritis-like symptoms can be connected to broader systemic health.

Doctors use several methods to diagnose these conditions. They often begin with a clinical physical examination. A professional might evaluate a patient's gait or check the skin for rashes. Imaging is also a vital tool for seeing internal damage. X-rays are commonly used to find joint space narrowing or bone spurs. Other advanced imaging includes CT scans, PET scans, and bone scans. Blood tests can also help identify specific markers of inflammation. For example, doctors look for elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) or rheumatoid factor (RF) levels.

Managing arthritis depends on the specific type and severity. Early treatments often involve resting the joint or using heat and ice. Weight loss and exercise can also reduce the force on weight-bearing joints. Medications like ibuprofen or paracetamol are used to manage symptoms. In very severe cases, a patient might require joint replacement surgery. Arthritis is a major reason people struggle with work or daily activities. It affects more than 20 percent of people in the United States and about 15 percent in Australia.