Arthritis

Arthritis causes swollen, painful joints that affect how well you can move. There are many types and causes of arthritis. At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, our orthopedic specialists offer advanced arthritis treatments to help you move better with less pain.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is a disease that affects your joints, the places where bones meet. Arthritis can cause swelling and pain in any joint in your body. You may find it hard to bend and move the affected joints.

Causes of arthritis

Arthritis occurs when cartilage breaks down, often due to a lifetime of wear and tear on your joints. Cartilage cushions joints, helping them glide and move. When cartilage wears away, your bones begin to rub together. This friction leads to painful, stiff joints.

Arthritis symptoms

Arthritis symptoms may vary depending on the disease type and affected joint. Common signs of arthritis include:

• Joint pain
• Red, warm skin over the joint
• Stiff joints, especially in the morning
• Swollen joints
• Trouble bending and moving joints

Arthritis types

Each type of arthritis has a distinct cause. Common types of arthritis include:

• Osteoarthritis: Most people with arthritis have osteoarthritis. With this condition, pain and swelling can occur in any joint. But the condition most often affects joints in your hands, knees, hips or spine.
• Gout: Gout occurs when uric acid crystals build up in your joints. Gout most commonly affects the big toes, but it can also affect fingers, ankles and wrists.
• Infectious arthritis: This type of arthritis occurs when a bacterial, fungal or viral infection travels from one part of your body to a joint (usually a knee). You may have a fever along with painful joints.
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: This chronic type of arthritis affects children. It may occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages healthy cartilage.
• Psoriatic arthritis: This type occurs in people who have psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition. You may have skin rashes in addition to joint pain.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: This inflammatory autoimmune disease occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks and damages your cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the same joints on both sides of your body.

Arthritis diagnosis

Your doctor will examine your joints and assess your range of motion during a physical exam. They’ll also ask about your symptoms and medical history.

You may get blood tests to check for infections and other causes of arthritis. Your doctor also might order imaging tests help them find areas of cartilage loss and joint damage. Imaging tests may include:

• CT scan
• MRI
• Ultrasound
• X-ray

In some cases, your doctor may do a needle biopsy. This means taking a sample of joint fluid to look at under a microscope.

Arthritis risk factors

Your chances of developing arthritis increase with age. Other factors can also increase your risk, such as:

• Autoimmune disease
• Bone fractures or injuries
• Family history of certain types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Female sex assigned at birth
• Obesity
• Physically demanding jobs that put a lot of pressure on joints
• Playing contact sports, like football
• Tobacco use

Complications of arthritis

Arthritis can affect many aspects of your life. Severely painful arthritis may lead to:

• Depression
• High stress levels
• Loss of mobility, which can result in disability and weight gain

Arthritis prevention

You can lower your chances of developing arthritis by taking care of your joints. Joint care may include:

• Avoiding repetitive joint movements if possible
• Cutting back on inflammatory foods, such as highly processed foods, sugar and red meat
• Getting physical activity on a regular basis
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Seeking help to quit tobacco products
• Wearing protective equipment, such as kneepads, when doing activities that can cause joint injuries