What Is Arthritis?

More Than 100 Types of Arthritis and Related Conditions

By Carol Eustice
Arthritis & Joint Conditions Expert

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Hero Images/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Updated December 10, 2014.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

Many people think arthritis is a single disease, but it's not. Arthritis literally means "joint inflammation" and
refers to a group of more than 100rheumatic diseases and related conditions that are associated with joint pain, joint
stiffness and swelling.
Certain arthritic conditions can affect parts of the body other than the joints. For example, tendons, muscles, and skin can
become inflamed and painful.
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Some rheumatic conditions can affect internal organs and result in debilitating or even life-threatening complications.

10 Things You Should Know About Arthritis

Arthritis Screening Quiz

Early Arthritis Symptoms

The two most common types of arthritis areosteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While they are both classified as
arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are very different and must be distinguished.
Many people believe arthritis is a disease that only affects old people. In fact, arthritis can affect anyone at any age,
including children. The incidence of arthritis increases with age, but nearly 3 out of 5 people with arthritis are under age
65.
If left undiagnosed and untreated, many types of arthritis can cause irreversible damage to the joints, bones, organs, and
skin. It is essential to be diagnosed early in the course of the disease and treated appropriately.Knowing your type of
arthritis is essential.

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, results from wear and tear on the joint.
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Cartilage damage develops which can lead to decreased joint function. The first signs of osteoarthritis are:

joint pain

joint tenderness

joint swelling

decreased range of motion

Usually, osteoarthritis onset is subtle and gradual, involving one or only a few joints. The joints most often affected are
the:

knees

hips

hands

spine
The risk of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. Other risk factors include: joint injury, obesity, and repetitive use
of the joint.

Osteoarthritis Screening Quiz

How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Facts About Osteoarthritis

Test Your Knowledge - Osteoarthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which occurs when the body's own immune system mistakenly attacks the
synovium (cell lining inside the joint). Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory type of arthritis, chronic and potentially
disabling. The first signs of the disease are:

joint pain

joint stiffness

joint swelling

loss of joint function

While the cause remains elusive, doctors suspect that genetic factors play some role in predisposition to the disease. But
there is more than genetic predisposition. It is thought that there are also environmental triggers for rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Screening Quiz

How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Facts About Rheumatoid Arthritis

Test Your Knowledge - Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis - Explained With Pictures

Juvenile Arthritis
Juvenile arthritis is a general term for all types of arthritis that occur in children, 16 years old or younger. Juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis in children. There are three major types of JRA:

Polyarticular (affecting many joints)

Pauciarticular (pertaining to only a few joints)

Systemic (affecting the entire body)

Signs and symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis vary from child to child. No single test can conclusively establish a
diagnosis. Juvenile arthritis must be present consistently for six or more consecutive weeks before a correct diagnosis can
be made.

Does My Child Have Arthritis?

Arthritis Affects Children Too

Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis. About 5% of people with psoriasis (a chronic skin disease) also
develop psoriatic arthritis. In psoriatic arthritis, there is inflammation of the joints and sometimes the spine.

Psoriatic Arthritis Screening Quiz

How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis

Facts About Psoriatic Arthritis

Test Your Knowledge - Psoriatic Arthritis

Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia syndrome is a painful condition characterized by:

muscle pain

chronic fatigue

poor sleep

Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. Fibromyalgia is a type of soft tissue or
muscular rheumatism and does not cause joint deformities.

Fibromyalgia Screening Quiz

How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Facts About Fibromyalgia

Test Your Knowledge - Fibromyalgia

Gout
Gout is a painful type of arthritis that causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, and swelling in
the joints, especially the big toe. The pain and swelling associated with gout are caused by uric acid crystals that
precipitate out of the blood and are deposited in the joint.

Gout Screening Quiz

Facts About Gout

Test Your Knowledge - Gout

What Are Gout Risk Factors?

Pseudogout / CPPD
Pseudogout, which is also known as Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Deposition Disease (CPPD), is caused by deposits
of calcium phosphate crystals (not uric acid) in the joints. CPPD is often mistaken for gouty arthritis. Since CPPD is a
different disease than gout, treatment is not the same.

What Is CPPD?

Is It Gout or Pseudogout?

Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a disease of the body's connective tissue that causes thickening and hardening of the skin. It can also affect
the:

joints

blood vessels

internal organs
There are two types of scleroderma: localized and generalized (systemic).

Scleroderma Screening Quiz

Facts About Scleroderma

Test Your Knowledge - Scleroderma

Types of Scleroderma

Lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can involve the:

skin

kidneys

blood vessels

joints

nervous system

heart

other internal organs

Symptoms vary, but may include skin rash, arthritis, fever, anemia, fatigue, hair loss, mouth ulcers, and kidney problems.
Symptoms usually first appear in women of childbearing age, but, can occur in children or older people. About 90% of
people affected are women.

Lupus Screening Quiz

Facts About Lupus

Lupus Is Not a Simple Disease

Lupus - Test Your Knowledge

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve at the wrist which causes tingling and numbness in the
fingers. It can begin suddenly or gradually and can be associated with other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis -- or it
may be unrelated to other disorders.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Screening Quiz

Test Your Knowledge - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

How Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Develops - Step-by-Step

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the spine, can cause the vertebrae to fuse, producing a rigid
spine. Other joints, besides the spine, may become involved.
Spondylitis is a result of inflammation which usually starts in tissue outside the joint. Common, early symptoms of
spondylitis involve low back pain and stiffness which may continue for months.
The exact cause is still unknown, but, most people with spondylitis have a genetic marker known as HLA-B27. Having
this genetic marker does not mean a person will develop spondylitis, but people with the marker are more likely to develop
the disease. Ankylosing spondylitis usually affects men between the ages of 16 and 35, but it can also affect women.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Screening Quiz

Facts About Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis - Often a Difficult or Delayed Diagnosis

Bursitis / Tendinitis
Bursitis is a condition caused by inflammation of the bursa sacs. Bursae are the fluid-filled sacs located in the areas where
muscles and tendons glide over the bones. Tendinitis, also spelled tendonitis, is characterized by inflammation of a tendon.
Tendons connect muscles to bones.

Facts About Bursitis

Facts About Tendonitis

Infectious Arthritis
Infectious arthritis is a form of joint inflammation caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Diagnosis is made by culturing the
organism from the joint.

Septic arthritis is caused by bacterial invasion.

Tuberculous arthritis is caused by tuberculosis.

Fungal arthritis results from infection by a fungus.

Gonococcal arthritis develops when infected with gonorrhea.

Viral arthritis is caused by viral infections.

Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a serious tick-borne disorder. Lyme disease can affect the:

joints

nervous system

heart

skin

eyes

Lyme Disease Screening Quiz

Facts About Lyme Disease

Test Your Knowledge - Lyme Disease

How to Protect Yourself Against Lyme Disease

Reactive Arthritis
Reactive arthritis, also called Reiter's syndrome, involves inflammation in the joints, and sometimes where ligaments and
tendons attach to bones.

Diagnosing Reactive Arthritis

Sjogren's Syndrome
Sjogren's syndrome is characterized by dysfunction of the moisture-producing glands causing dryness of
the mouth and eyes. Other parts of the body may also be affected, resulting in a wide range of symptoms.

Sjogren's Syndrome Screening Quiz

Facts About Sjogren's Syndrome

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis results in loss of bone tissue, leaving bones less dense and prone to fracture. Osteoporosis is a silent disease
that can often be prevented.

Osteoporosis Screening Quiz

Osteoporosis Risk Factors

Bone Up on Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis vs. Osteoarthritis - Similar Names, Different Conditions

Other Conditions

Raynaud's Phenomenon (a disorder causing blood vessels to constrict)

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (may also have giant cell arteritis)

Mixed Connective Tissue Diseases (an overlap of several diseases)

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (causes debilitating jaw pain and dysfunction)

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (also called reflex sympathetic dystrophy)

Behcet's Disease (a chronic inflammatory disorder)

Avascular Necrosis (also known as osteonecrosis)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (arthritis and osteoporosis are common complications)

Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (causes calcification of the vertebrae)

Vasculitis (disorders causing inflammation of blood vessels)

Sources:

Arthritis: Timely Treatments for An Ageless Disease, FDA Consumer, May-June 2000

Do I Have Arthritis? NIAMS. March 2010.

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