Arthritis is a common acute or chronic condition affecting the joints and surrounding tissues.
Arthritis is a common acute or chronic condition affecting the joints and surrounding tissues. It’s estimated that roughly 18 percent of American adults have some form of arthritis. And about 44 percent of people with arthritis have physical limitations related to the condition.
Age is one of the main risk factors for arthritis. As the U.S. population continues to age, the prevalence of arthritis is expected to increase as well.
When we think of arthritis, we often think of worn-down joint tissue that happens as we get older. This type of arthritis (called osteoarthritis) is the most common, but there are many different types of arthritis.
In this condition guide, we’ll go over everything to know about arthritis. We’ll cover the symptoms to be aware of, what causes arthritis, how it’s diagnosed and treated, and more.
Arthritis is inflammation affecting the joints. Several different tissues can be affected by arthritis, including:
Cartilage, the tissue cushioning the ends of bones, preventing bone-on-bone contact with movement
The synovium, which is the lining of a joint that helps it move smoothly and reduces wear and tear
Connective tissue like ligaments and tendons
Arthritis can impact any joint in the body. The joints most commonly affected can also vary by the type of arthritis.
In osteoarthritis, weight-bearing joints are often involved — think knees, hips, and spine.
What does arthritis feel like? Does arthritis cause swelling? When patients are asked about their symptoms of arthritis, joint pain and swelling are often mentioned first.
What does arthritis look like? There are several other potential symptoms of arthritis as well. Let’s explore the signs of arthritis and how it can look and feel.
People with arthritis typically have one or more joints that are:
Painful or tender
Swollen
Red or warm to the touch
Stiff or limited in range of motion
Some kinds of arthritis, specifically inflammatory and infectious types, may also cause additional symptoms like fatigue and fever.
Inflammatory arthritis can sometimes cause symptoms in parts of the body other than the joints, like the eyes, heart, or lungs.
As arthritis progresses, joint damage can get worse. This could lead to joint deformities or a physical disability.
Arthritis is an umbrella term referring to a group of conditions that cause inflammation in the joints. There are actually over 100 different types of arthritis.
What causes arthritis? The causes of arthritis can be put into one of several buckets. Let’s look at these now.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. An estimated 595 million people worldwide had this condition in 2020 — that’s 7.6 percent of the global population!
Osteoarthritis is characterized by damage and degeneration of a joint and surrounding tissues. It happens over time and can be due to the effects of aging, overuse of a joint, or injury.
Then there’s inflammatory arthritis. This category of arthritis is the result of an inflammatory response from your body’s immune system. Types of inflammatory arthritis include:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Psoriatic arthritis, which is associated with the skin condition psoriasis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Lupus arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Arthritis can also be caused by an infection. This is called infectious (or septic) arthritis. Infectious arthritis typically happens due to a bacterial infection, often a staph infection. But it can also have fungal or viral causes.
Though anyone can develop arthritis, some things can increase your risk. Healthcare professionals call these risk factors.
The risk factors for arthritis include:
Age. The risk for most arthritis types increases with age. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that 3.6 percent of adults aged 18 to 34 had arthritis, compared to about 54 percent of those 75 and older.
Sex. Arthritis is more common in people assigned female at birth. However, some types (specifically gout) are more common in individuals assigned male at birth.
Family history. Some causes of arthritis can run in families, so you’re at a higher risk if a close family member, like a parent or sibling, also has arthritis.
Overweight or obesity. Having overweight or obesity places additional strain on the joints, especially weight-bearing joints while increasing inflammation. For these reasons, obesity is linked with a higher risk of many types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and RA.
Physical activity. Not getting much physical activity can impact joint health. A 2019 study found that people who did light physical activities like walking had a lower risk of osteoarthritis. Meanwhile, sedentary activities (specifically watching TV) were linked with a higher risk.
Injuries or overuse. Injuries, overuse, and frequent, repetitive motions can all boost your risk of osteoarthritis.
Infections. Certain infections can potentially lead to infectious arthritis. A few examples include staph infections, Lyme disease, and gonorrhea.
Smoking. Smoking is linked with a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
We all have pain or swelling in our joints from time to time. But it’s always a good idea to make an appointment with a healthcare provider if you have ongoing or recurring joint pain, swelling, or stiffness that interferes with day-to-day activities.
Some symptoms should prompt you to get more urgent medical attention, like joint pain or swelling that comes on suddenly, is severe, or happens after a known injury or accident.
Healthcare professionals can use several tests to diagnose arthritis.
When you meet with your provider, they’ll first want to get your medical history. Come to your appointment prepared to answer questions about:
Your symptoms, including when they started, their severity, and if anything makes them better or worse
Which joints are affected
If you have a family history of any type of arthritis
Any other underlying health conditions you may have
Any medications you’re taking, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC)
After getting your medical history, your healthcare provider will examine the affected joint or joints, looking for signs of redness, swelling, or deformity. They may also ask you to do simple movements to check your range of motion.
The following tests can be used to see what type of arthritis you have:
Complete blood count, a blood test that checks levels of different blood cells
Blood tests for inflammation, such as those for C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
Blood and urine tests that look for uric acid levels, which can be a sign of gout
Blood tests for specific markers of autoimmune diseases to verify lupus or rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
Culture of the joint fluid or a blood sample if infectious arthritis is suspected
Analysis of a sample of synovial fluid to look for signs of an infection (infectious arthritis) or uric acid crystals (gout)
Imaging tests, such as X-rays or MRI scans, to evaluate the condition of the affected joint
Depending on your diagnosis, your healthcare provider might refer you to an orthopedist or a rheumatologist. These healthcare professionals specialize in treating musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis.
Is arthritis curable? Unfortunately, there’s no cure for arthritis — but the condition is treatable.
When it comes to treating arthritis, many potential options are available. Which types of arthritis treatment are recommended to you can depend on the kind of arthritis that you have and how severe it is.
The overarching goals of arthritis treatment are to:
Ease your symptoms
Improve your range of motion
Slow or stop the progression of arthritis
Prevent complications and disability
Boost your quality of life
Let’s break down the different treatment options for arthritis now.
There are a few things you can do at home and in your daily life to help alleviate arthritis symptoms. These include:
Avoiding activities that lead to overuse or added stress to the affected joint
Using hot and cold compresses to ease joint pain when it flares up
Engaging in regular physical activity, which can actually help reduce arthritis pain
If these don’t work, let your healthcare provider know. They can recommend other treatments for arthritis, like medication.
Many medications can be used to treat arthritis. These are available either over the counter or through a prescription from your healthcare provider.
For some types of mild to moderate arthritis, OTC medications can help ease pain. This includes acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin®) or naproxen (Aleve®).
Some topical medications are also available over the counter and can be applied directly to the skin of the affected joint to help reduce symptoms. Examples include topical capsaicin and topical salicylates.
Sometimes, prescription medications are needed to reduce arthritis symptoms. This is particularly true for inflammatory arthritis, where disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are often used to dampen the inflammatory response.
Types of medications that may be prescribed for arthritis include:
Traditional DMARDs like methotrexate and leflunomide
Biologic DMARDs like adalimumab (Humira®) and infliximab (Remicade®)
Small molecule DMARDs, called JAK inhibitors, like tofacitinib (Xeljanz®) and upadacitinib (Rinvoq®)
Colchicine to treat or prevent gout attacks
Antibiotics for bacterial infections
Steroids to decrease inflammation
Your healthcare provider may also use injections in the affected joint to treat arthritis, like corticosteroid injections or hyaluronic acid injections.
There are additional therapies and complementary approaches your healthcare provider may recommend as a part of your arthritis treatment plan.
For instance, working with a physical therapist can teach you exercises to help with the effects of arthritis. Physical therapy can boost your strength, flexibility, and range of motion.
Occupational therapy might also be useful. An occupational therapist can teach you ways to do daily activities in your home, at work, and while out in the community. They may also recommend assistive devices or orthotics that can make day-to-day life easier.
Your healthcare provider might suggest weight loss as part of your treatment plan. Losing weight can have many benefits for arthritis, including reducing pain, improving physical function, and lowering the risk of injury.
A healthy, lower-calorie diet and increased physical activity are cornerstones for successful weight loss, but other approaches can help too. These include weight loss medications and bariatric surgery.
Further, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists additional complementary approaches for certain arthritis types:
Massage
Tai chi
Mindfulness-based interventions
Supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin, SAMe, and fish oil might also help.
When the above approaches don’t effectively treat arthritis or there’s serious damage to a joint, your healthcare provider might recommend surgery.
Some types of surgery that can be used to address arthritis include:
Total joint replacement, such as a knee replacement or a hip replacement
Osteotomy, which involves realigning a joint
Synovectomy, a surgery that removes damaged parts of the synovium
Fusion, a procedure that fuses two bones in a joint to help stabilize them
Surgery is usually only recommended after other arthritis treatments and therapies have been tried.
If you’re wondering how to prevent arthritis, we’re sorry to say it’s not entirely preventable.
However, there are things you can do to help protect your joint health while promoting overall well-being.
Follow the tips below to prevent arthritis:
Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
Take steps to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Quit smoking.
Use proper form and appropriate equipment when engaging in certain types of activities, such as sports or lifting heavy loads.
Choose products that provide better ergonomic support, especially to your neck, back, and feet.
It’s also important to have regular check-ins with your healthcare provider.
Remember, your provider is there to help and support you. They can keep tabs on your overall health and identify and treat any medical conditions early, including arthritis.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.