Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints
When you have arthritis you might feel pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling in and around one or more joints.
There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and various treatments for the condition. The most common type is osteoarthritis (OA). Other common types include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and gout.
Below you can read more about arthritis categories, as well as what causes joint inflammation and common treatments.
Arthritis categories
The types of arthritis can be divided in the following categories:
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Inflammatory arthritis
Inflammation happens when your body fights against a virus or harmful bacteria or responds to an injury, like a burn. But people with inflammatory arthritis experience unexplainable inflammation in their joints.
This inflammation happens without any threat being present in your body and it can damage your joints, resulting in pain, swelling and stiffness.
Examples of inflammatory arthritis include:
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- RA
- reactive arthritis
- ankylosing spondylitis
- psoriatic arthritis
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Degenerative or mechanical arthritis
This kind of arthritis largely damages the cartilage that covers the end of the bones. Degenerative or mechanical arthritis causes your cartilage to become thinner and rougher making it difficult for your joints to move smoothly. Your body tries to solve this problem by remodelling your bones. This results in undesirable bony growths to develop, called osteophytes. The joint can become misshapen. This condition is called osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis can also happen because of damage to joints – like suffering from a fracture or because of inflammation.
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Connective tissue disease (CTD)
Connective tissue can be found throughout your body and consists of tendons, ligaments, and cartridge. They are what keep your body together.
CTD causes pain and inflammation in your joints. It can also cause inflammation in other tissues like the skin, muscles, lungs, and kidneys.
Examples of CTD include:
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- SLE, or lupus
- scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis
- dermatomyositis
- Sjogren’s
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Infectious arthritis
A virus, bacteria or fungus can cause joint inflammation. This inflammation might be temporary but can also become chronic if proper treatment is not administered.
Organisms can inflame your joints through:
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- Food poisoning – salmonella and shigella
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) – chlamydia and gonorrhea
- Blood-to-blood infection – hepatitis C
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Metabolic arthritis
Uric acid is a chemical made by your body. When your body breaks down purines (a type of protein found in many foods), it produces uric acid.
Uric acid is meant to be a waste product. It dissolves in your bloodstream, flows through your kidneys, and leaves your body when you urinate.
A normal uric acid level is under 6.8 mg/dL, but if your body can’t remove uric acid fast enough, it will accumulate in your blood. A high uric acid level is known as hyperuricemia and can cause gout. Gout, a type of arthritis, causes sharp pains, swelling, and inflammation in joints. This pain happens suddenly and then dissipates – it is called a gout attack.
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Childhood arthritis
Arthritis in childhood may be attributed to immune system problems and can damage joints permanently. The most widespread type of childhood arthritis is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
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Septic arthritis
Septic arthritis commonly affects your knees and hips and is caused by bacteria and fungal infections. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, or Neisseria gonorrhoeae cause most cases of acute septic arthritis.
Arthritis causes
There is no single cause of arthritis and different factors play a role in the development of the disease.
Arthritis can be caused by:
- Wear and tear of a joint from overuse
- Age (OA is most common in adults over age 50)
- Injuries
- Obesity
- Autoimmune disorders
- Genes or family history
- Muscle weakness
Treatment
Treatment of arthritis differs depending on the type of arthritis you have.
Treatment may include:
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Medication and supplements
Various medications to reduce inflammation and pain are prescribed for people suffering from arthritis.
There is not a lot of clinical data to show how effective supplements are in treating arthritis but avocado and soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) may help OA symptoms. If you want to reduce inflammation in RA then fish oil and turmeric supplements may be beneficial. Some people suffering from arthritis have also mentioned that pain and inflammation are reduced by taking some of the following supplements:
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- Devil’s claw
- Boswellia
- Chamomile
- Turmeric
- Ginger
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Physical therapy
It is important to strengthen the muscles around your joints, regular physical activity will help with this. Your physical therapist will also give you exercises to do at home to build muscle strength and flexibility.
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Lifestyle changes
There are numerous lifestyle changes you can make to help with arthritis, these include:
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Weight loss
Losing excess weight can reduce the risk of developing OA and can also mitigate some of the symptoms.
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Exercise
If you want to lose weight through exercising opt for joint-friendly exercise like swimming. Regular exercise will also keep your joints flexible.
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Diet
Eating foods with lots of antioxidants will, such as fruits and vegetables will help reduce inflammation. Avoid eating processed foods as they might worsen joint inflammation.
Takeaway
Take care of your joints properly. With OA being the most common type of arthritis, you can keep your joints healthy by losing weight and exercising. When your joints are inflamed it is important to eat the right food. A diet rich in antioxidants will help fight joint inflammation. Keep your joints healthy to avoid the pain of arthritis.
