Arthritis

Introduction: Arthritis

Arthritis is a medical term meaning any type of joint inflammation but the word is commonly used to refer to age-related osteoarthritis, which is the most common type. However, there are other types of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis (second-most common, affecting younger adults and juveniles), and various types of secondary arthritis that are caused by an underlying condition: reactive arthritis caused by an infection, psoriatic arthritis from psoriasis, gonococcal arthritis from gonorrhea, and others. Other possible conditions with arthritis-like symptoms include ankylosing spondylitis and gout.

Symptoms of Arthritis

• Joint symptoms:
  • Joint pain
  • Joint tenderness
  • Joint swelling
  • Joint stiffness

See full list of 25 symptoms of Arthritis

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Arthritis:

• Home Andropause Tests
• Prostate Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Prostate Tests
  • Home PSA Antigen Tests
  • Home Testosterone Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Arthritis

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Arthritis?

• Misdiagnosis of Arthritis
• Failure to diagnose Arthritis
• Underlying causes of Arthritis (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Failure to diagnose Arthritis

Misdiagnosis and Arthritis

Rare undiagnosed iron disorder causes various severe conditions: The rare "iron overload" disorder, hemochromatosis, can cause a variety of symptoms and result in...read more »

Rare form of juvenile arthritis undiagnosed: The disease rheumatoid arthritis (i.e. juvenile arthritis) is fairly well known. But there is a rare form known as Still's disease that can remain an undiagnosed of ...read more »

Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical conditions, such as a stroke or Alzheimer's...read more »

Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease. The reality is that there are...read more »

Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's. The disease Fragile X disorder can show only mild...read more »

Psoriatic arthritis often undiagnosed cause of joint conditions: Patients with the skin condition psoriasis can also have the related arthritis subtype called "psoriatic arthritis". This arthritic condition tends to be...read more »

Difficult to diagnose Paget's disease: Paget's disease of the bone is a disease of the older age group and rarely presents itself before the age of 40 years. It...read more »

Rash with abdominal pain can be HSP: Henoch Schonlein purpura is a common vasculitis condition in children. It classically presents with purpura, abdominal pain and arthritis. The presentation usually follows...read more »

Tailor's bottom: Tailor’s bottom or weaver’s bottom is occasionally seen. It is a condition characterised by a bursa overlying the ischial tuberosity. The patient may present with severe pain when sitting...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Arthritis

Causes of Arthritis

• Lupus
• Viral hepatitis
• Lyme disease
• Underlying causes of infectious arthritis
• Underlying causes of reactive arthritis

See full list of 6 causes of Arthritis

More information about causes of Arthritis:

• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Arthritis (64 listings)
• Underlying causes of Arthritis
• Arthritis as a complication caused by other conditions
• Arthritis as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Arthritis
• Cause statistics for Arthritis

Videos for Arthritis

Patient Surveys for Arthritis

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Arthritis
  Take Survey  View Results

Reseach about Arthritis

Visit our research pages for current research about Arthritis treatments.

Clinical Trials for Arthritis

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Arthritis include:

• The Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Synovitis: A Study of Early Arthritis - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Life Threatening Autoimmune Diseases - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - anti-thymocyte globulin,cyclophosphamide,cyclosporine,filgrastim,methylprednisolone,prednisone
• Study of High-Dose Cyclophosphamide and Anti-Thymocyte Globulin With T-Cell-Depleted Autologous Bone Marrow Rescue in Patients With High-Risk Rheumatoid Arthritis - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - anti-thymocyte globulin,cyclophosphamide,filgrastim
• Genetic and Immune Studies of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Related Conditions - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Study of Intra-Articular Delivery of tgAAC94 in Inflammatory Arthritis Subjects - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)

See full list of 636 Clinical Trials for Arthritis

Statistics for Arthritis

• Medical statistics for Arthritis
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Arthritis
• Death and Mortality statistics for Arthritis
• Society statistics for Arthritis

Types of Arthritis

• Osteoarthritis - most common type occurring with aging and "wear-and-tear".
• Rheumatoid arthritis - second most common type; not caused by aging.
• Psoriatic arthritis - occurring with psoriasis
• Infectious arthritis
  • Gonococcal arthritis (type of Infectious arthritis) - caused by gonorrhea

See full list of 9 Types of Arthritis

Stories from Users Related to Arthritis

• Joint and muscular pain after taking chantix
• headrush/fatigue/vertigo?/dizziness/pain
• Joint Pain... Please Help...
• Swelling & itching
• Joint pain -- walk with a cane at 25 years old
• dry mouth, fatuige and joint pain for 9 months!Please somone give feed back PLEASE!!
• Labrum Tear & pain
• Skin blisters, joint & muscle pain, Photos..
• Contagious joint pain?
• Crazy Painful Itching
• Sternoclavicular chondritis- pain, pain and more pain!
• more than arthritis????
• Joint pain...im only 23!
• Joint Pain plus red lumps / bumps / spots on my legs and arms...getting worse!
• A sleep disorder that thinks it's arthritis?!?
• severe joint pain, ankle swelling
• Please, HELP! I'm in SEVERE pain
• What is this pain?
• fatigue, widespread pain, digestion issues. Please help me!
• Years of nausea, joint cracking/pain, headaches, and postural/orthostatic hypotension

Related forums and stories:

• Elbow Conditions (8)
  • elbow pain due to fall
  • elbow fluid
  • Green elbow skin
  • elbow pain
  • ouch
  • More user stories
• Finger Conditions (35)
  • why is my little finger hurting?? (please have a look)
  • finger bumps
  • Thumb nail bump then dip
  • nail disorders or conditions
  • hypermobility/hyperflex
  • More user stories
• Arthritis (26)
  • more than arthritis????
  • Just diagnosed with Psoriatic arthritis
  • seronegative rheuatoid arthritis
  • Had it for 2yrs!!
  • Reiter's - Peeling Skin
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Arthritis, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Arthritis

Do I have Arthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Arthritis is an illness that can cause pain and swelling in your joints. Over time, the joint can become severely damaged. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Some kinds of arthritis can cause problems in other organs, such as your eyes, or in your chest. It can affect your skin, too. (Source: excerpt from Do I have Arthritis: NIAMS)

Questions and Answers About Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Arthritis means "joint inflammation" and refers to a group of diseases that cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of motion in the joints. "Arthritis" is often used as a more general term to refer to the more than 100 rheumatic diseases that may affect the joints but can also cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in other supporting structures of the body such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Some rheumatic diseases can affect other parts of the body, including various internal organs. (Source: excerpt from Questions and Answers About Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS)

Definitions of Arthritis:

Pain in the joint. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Inflammation of a joint or joints - (Source - WordNet 2.1)