3 Different Types of Arthritis, Recognize the Similarities and the Differences
by Meghan Griech, PT, DPT, cert MDT, CKTP
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Arthritis isn’t a singular disease, it in fact is an informal way of referring to joint pain and bony inflammation. Arthritis affects more than 54.4 million adults and up to 300,000 children, with women being impacted much more than men. Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling. It’s the leading cause as to why people are less mobile and active, yet activity is the best thing you can do for arthritis.
The symptoms of arthritis can wax and wain, causing it to feel sporadic or increase without warning or specific activity. People are affected differently, with some having mild symptoms while others have more severe symptoms. The joint pain and stiffness from arthritis could stay about the same for years but can progress or get worse over time.
Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain-causing limitations and the inability to do daily activities, making it difficult to walk, climb stairs, or get out of a chair.
There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions, and can potentially cause permanent joint changes. Some of these changes may be visible, such as ‘knobby’ finger joints, or “boney-looking” knees, but often the bone changes/breakdown can only be seen on X-ray. Some types of arthritis also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys, and skin as well as the joints. Although osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common, other forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and juvenile arthritis can be relatively common.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
According to the CDC, Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. Some people call it a degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis. It occurs most frequently in the hands, hips, and knees.
The cartilage (fibrous tissue found between the bones of the joint to buffer the weight) begins to break down and can cause the underlying bone to change. These changes usually develop slowly and get worse over time, often starting as stiffness in the joint then progressing to pain. OA can cause pain, stiffness, reduced joint motion, and swelling. In some cases it also causes reduced ability to complete daily tasks and functions, like getting up from the couch, reaching into a cabinet, walking up stairs.
What are the common signs and symptoms of OA?
- Pain or aching
- Stiffness
- Decreased range of motion (or flexibility)
- Swelling
How can you manage your Osteoarthritis?
There is no cure for OA, so according to the CDC a combination of therapies and strategies will help you maintain your joint mobility and overall activity level while managing the joint pain best.
These strategies include
Increasing physical activity. Any activity is better than none. Moderate to low impact activities are recommended and include walking, swimming, or biking. Regular physical activity can also reduce the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Learn self-management skills. Learn to understand how your arthritis affects joints, pain/inflammation, and also what you can do to relieve symptoms so you can live actively and increase your confidence in controlling symptoms.
Weight loss. Losing weight reduces pressure on joints, particularly weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees and ankles have osteoarthritis. Reaching or maintaining a healthy weight can relieve pain, improve function, and slow the progression of OA.
Recognize When you Need to Rest: Recognizing when your body is telling you to rest and not pushing through can be really important to your overall tolerance, not only for that day but the days ahead. Don’t push too hard to get things done on days when your body is telling you to rest. Set limits. One of the best ways of alleviating joint pain is to get plenty of rest and relaxation when your body is giving signs that this is what you need. This will restore energy, as well as allow the body to repair itself naturally.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis can develop at any age, although the onset is most common in people 30 to 50 years old. According to medical professionals, this is because your immune system can become out of balance at any time, versus traditional arthritis which is triggered by activity and overuse.
Psoriatic Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder and can’t be spread from person to person. Autoimmune disorders tend to ebb and flow, meaning there are periods of remission where there are fewer symptoms and flare-up times when symptoms can be mild to severe.
What are the common signs and symptoms of PsA?
Any joint is susceptible to the pain of psoriatic arthritis, including joints of the fingers, spine, knees, ankle, and toes.
- Painful stiff joints
- Swollen fingers and toes
- Pain at the sole of the foot or back of the heel
- Warm and red joints
- Low back and/or neck stiffness
Other complications of psoriatic arthritis include dryness or inflammation of the eyes, depression, anxiety, or hypertension. Many with psoriatic arthritis suffer from many GI issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis.
How can you manage PsA?
Protect your joints. Psoriatic arthritis can greatly affect the hands, making gripping, opening jars, or lifting heavy pans painful and difficult. Invest in gadgets that make life easier in the kitchen and throughout the house to reduce the stress on the hand joints.
Move often. Make an effort to move often in short bouts rather than once a day for a long period of time. Avoiding over fatiguing the muscles and joints, especially the weight-bearing ones(such as the hips, knees, ankles, and feet) will improve tolerance to activity.
Stop the Bad Habits. Quit smoking, that is stealing valuable oxygen from your system. Reduce or avoid alcohol. Alcohol can change a medication’s effect on your system, reducing its ability to alleviate the symptoms and inflammation.
Stay Active But Spare Your Joints. biking, water aerobics, swimming, walking (avoid hills) are options. Pace yourself when trying something new, listen to when your body is saying it needs to rest, and avoid activity two days in a row unless you feel you are fully recovered.
Keep Your Weight in Check. Maintaining a healthy weight for your height places less strain on your joints. Reducing extra fat in the body and weight on the joints can lead to reduced pain and increased mobility. Unsure of what weight you should be for your height, check here
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, like psoriatic arthritis, which means that your immune system attacks your body’s healthy cells by mistake. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, sensations of imbalance or unsteadiness, and deformity or mis-shapened joints.
Often many joints are affected at once. Most commonly, RA affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. Yet RA can also affect other tissues throughout the body, including the lungs, heart, and eyes.
Researchers have found a number of factors that increase the chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis. According to the CDC, factors like age, gender, smoking, weight, early life exposures like 2nd hand smoke, and women who have not given birth.
What are the common signs and symptoms of PsA?
Just like with OA and PsA, rheumatoid arthritis can have flares ups and times when there is more pain/inflammation and other times when the when symptoms are in remission or get better.
Signs and symptoms of RA include:
- Pain or aching in more than one joint
- Stiffness in more than one joint
- Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint
- The same symptoms on both sides of the body (such as in both hands or both knees)
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Weakness
How can you manage RA?
Get more physically active. The CDC recommends that ideally, adults be moderately physically active for 150 minutes per week, like walking, swimming, or biking 30 minutes a day for five days a week.
You can break these 30 minutes into three separate ten-minute sessions during
Stop the Bad Habits. Quit smoking, that is stealing valuable oxygen from your system. Reduce or avoid alcohol. Alcohol can change the medication’s effect on your system, reducing its ability to alleviate the symptoms and inflammation.
Stay Active But Spare Your Joints. biking, water aerobics, swimming, walking (avoid hills) are options. Pace yourself when trying something new, listen to when your body is saying it needs to rest, and avoid activity two days in a row unless you feel you are fully recovered.
Keep Your Weight in Check. Maintaining a healthy weight for your height places less strain on your joints. Reducing extra fat in the body and weight on the joints can lead to reduced pain and increased mobility. Unsure of what weight you should be for your height, check here
No matter what type of arthritis you have been diagnosed with, maintaining mobility is important. Understanding and managing the pain can become a daily maintenance activity. Learning ways to manage your joint pain due to arthritis so you can reduce the pain struggle is key to reducing frustration and feeling limited mobility. Knowing all you can control and how best to manage joint pain is important so you can live the active life you want with the least amount of pain you can achieve.
*Disclaimer: All information in this article is intended for instruction and informational purposes. The author(s) are not responsible for any harm or injury that may result. This information is used to supplement not replace any advice you were provided from your doctor or another medical health professional. No guarantees of specific results are expressly made or implied with this article.
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