Pain in your knees, shoulders, hips, and other joints can be due to joint overuse or an injury. However, persistent pain that makes daily movements difficult or starts interfering with your work and regular life can signal an underlying joint condition, such as arthritis. The condition affects over 60 million people in the US, making it the leading cause of disability.
It’s a broad term used for over a hundred types of arthritis. Some occur when the protective cartilage wears down, while others are due to an autoimmune disorder. Let’s have a look at the 7 most common types of arthritis and which symptoms require a visit to the orthopedic doctor in Thane.
1. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis refers to changes in the structure of the joint, particularly the bone, due to damaged cartilage. With age and repeated joint use, the cartilage might wear down, causing your bones to rub against each other. This can lead to joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, all of which can affect your mobility.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis
Affecting mostly the smaller joints in your body, such as hands and feet, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where your immune system attacks the lining of the joints. This causes inflammation, which over time and when left untreated, can damage cartilage, bone, and other structures of your joint. The condition affects joints on both parts, such as both hands, knees, or feet.
3. Gout
High uric acid levels in your body can sometimes form small crystals in certain joints, leading to inflammation. The most commonly affected area is the big toe, although gout can affect your knees, wrists, and other joints as well. Symptoms begin suddenly, causing the affected area to become swollen, painful, tender, warm, and red.
4. Psoriatic Arthritis
People with psoriasis can develop this form of arthritis that causes swelling in one finger, toe, joint pain, stiffness, and pain in areas where tendons and ligaments connect to the bones. The condition can begin before you notice the red, scaly patches associated with psoriasis.
5. Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis describes different inflammatory arthritis conditions that can develop in children. These can cause noticeable swelling, pain, and stiffness in the child’s affected joints, and a limp in the morning. Certain JIA types are linked to rashes and eye inflammation, which is why a pediatric orthopedic doctor recommends regular eye checkups.
6. Reactive Arthritis
An infection in your stomach or the urinary tract can sometimes cause reactive arthritis, an inflammatory arthritis, in which the lower limbs can become painful, swollen, and stiff.
Joint symptoms occur when the infection has already resolved. Reactive arthritis treatment in Thane includes controlling joint inflammation and treating the underlying infection if it’s still present.
7. Lupus-related Arthritis
Lupus is an autoimmune condition, in which your immune system mistakes your body’s health tissue and organs as foreign objects and attacks them. This may include skin, kidneys, and joints. Most commonly affected joints are wrists, fingers, and knees.
