There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, a medical condition that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation within the joints of the body. Arthritic conditions affect nearly 46 million people in the United States, reports the Arthritis Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1948 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. There are numerous treatment options available to you to help manage symptoms associated with your arthritic condition. If you experience symptoms associated with arthritis, speak with your doctor for additional evaluation.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis disease and causes the cartilage within the joints to progressively degrade. Symptoms of osteoarthritis primarily include joint stiffness and pain. Such symptoms can make it difficult for you to move the affected joint, especially after periods of rest or limited activity. As the disease progresses, the joint cartilage diminishes, which can cause the bones within the joint to rub together. If this occurs, you can experience a grinding sensation when you attempt to move the affected joint.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the United States, health professionals at The Ohio State University (OSU) Medical Center explain. If you have this arthritis disease, your body's immune system abnormally attacks the healthy cells and tissues throughout your body. Symptoms of this condition include painful, inflamed or stiff joints, which can prevent your joints from moving freely. You can also develop swollen lymph nodes, a low-grade fever or bumps that protrude from the skin near the affected joint. Patients who are under the age of 16 and experience these symptoms can be diagnosed with a condition called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is an arthritis disease that affects people who have psoriasis--a chronic skin disease that causes red, dry and scaly patches to develop across the body. Symptoms associated with psoriatic arthritis mimic those noted to occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition to psoriatic skin symptoms, painful joint inflammation, swelling or deformation can occur in patients with this condition.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis is an arthritis disease that primarily affects the spinal column and occurs most frequently in people between the ages of 17 and 35, OSU Medical Center health professionals report. Symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis include back pain, altered posture, weight loss, fatigue and fever. If you have this condition, it can be difficult for you to inhale deeply due to inflammation along the joints that connect the spine and rib bones. As this disease progresses, the bones within the spinal column (vertebrae) can begin to fuse together, causing your spine to stiffen.
Scleroderma
Scleroderma is an arthritis disease that causes chronic degeneration of the joints, skin and internal organs. Scleroderma causes extensive scarring to develop within affected regions of the body, which can significantly impair the normal function of these body regions. Symptoms of this condition can include swelling of the fingers, joint pain or immobility, difficulty breathing, heart failure, kidney disease or spider veins.
