Different Types of Arthritis Require Different Types of Care.
Arthritis can be broken down into 4 major categories. These include degenerative, inflammatory, infectious and metabolic. Degenerative arthritis consists of osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. Inflammatory arthritis is the result of underlying auto-immune diseases and includes rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Infectious arthritis occurs when a joint becomes infected. Reactive arthritis and septic arthritis are two forms of infectious arthritis. In metabolic arthritis, uric acid builds up and creates crystals in the joint, causing a painful condition called gout.
The inflammation associated with the different types of arthritis can occur in just one joint or in multiple joints in the same area or even in different parts of the body. The most common symptoms seen in all types of arthritis are pain, stiffness and swelling in the affected joints. In some cases, the swollen joints look red and irritated. Range of movement is also often reduced in the affected joint.
What causes Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis involves the break-down of the cartilage in joints and typically happens due to normal wear and tear that occurs with overuse and aging. When this happens, your bones essentially start grinding against each other instead of being cushioned by the cartilage. This causes pain and reduces the range of motion for the joint. In most cases, osteoarthritis begins gradually, with the severity increasing with age. However, infections and injuries that affect the joint can cause osteoarthritis to develop at a much earlier age than normal.
Although osteoarthritis often simply goes hand in hand with living a long life, certain risk factors can increase your likelihood of developing osteoarthritis. Besides age and joint injuries, the primary risk factors include being overweight, working at a job or engaging in a hobby with repetitive movements, and having a family history of osteoarthritis.
Research Article Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pain and Self-reported Swollen Joints Are Main Drivers of Patient-reported Flares in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from a 12-month Observational Study
Dorota Kuettel, Jette Primdahl, Ulrich Weber, Lene Terslev, Mikkel Østergaard, Randi Petersen, Andreas Kristian Pedersen, Sören Möller and Kim Hørslev-Petersen
The Journal of Rheumatology September 2020, 47 (9) 1305-1313; DOI: Reference