Arthritis
Arthritis, inflammation of one or more joints, is the most common cause of disability in the United States, limiting the activities of millions of adults. So, what causes arthritis? Cartilage, which is the tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of your bones, normally protects and cushions a joint, allowing it to move smoothly. When this covering starts to break down, your bones rub together, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. This is arthritis. Joint inflammation may result from an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, which is when your immune system mistakenly attacks health tissue, or a broken bone, or general wear and tear on joints from osteoarthritis, or an infection from bacteria or a virus. If you have arthritis, you'll probably know it before you see your doctor. You may have joint pain, joint swelling, a reduced ability to move your joint, redness of the skin around your joint, and stiffness, especially in the morning. So, what do you do about arthritis? Your doctor will give you a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms. Your doctor might find that you have fluid around a joint, warm, red, tender joints, and trouble moving your joints. You may have blood tests and x-rays to check for infection or other arthritis causes. Your doctor may take a sample of joint fluid with a needle and send it to a lab for examination. Once your doctor confirms that you have arthritis, your treatment will focus on reducing your pain, improving your mobility, and limiting further joint damage. Lifestyle changes are a big part of the treatment for arthritis. Exercise can help relieve stiffness, reduce pain and fatigue, and improve muscle and bone strength. Your health care team can help you design an exercise program that is best for you. Physical therapy may also be very helpful. You may use treatments like heat or ice, splints or orthotics to support your joints, water therapy, and even massage. You can take other steps to ease your pain. For example, sleeping 8 to 10 hours a night and taking naps during the day can help you recover from a flare-up more quickly, and may even help prevent them. Avoid staying in one position for too long, and avoid positions or movements that place extra stress on your joints. Install grab bars in the shower, tub, and near the toilet, to help you get around easier. Try stress reducing activities, such as meditation, yoga, or tai chi. Get more fruits, vegetables, cold water fish, and nuts into your diet. Weight loss through dieting and exercise can also take pressure off your joints. After lifestyle factors, medicine can help relieve your arthritis pain. If over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin are not enough, your doctor may prescribe stronger medicines. Most forms of arthritis are long-term, and life-long, conditions. But if you make lifestyle changes, and work with your health care team to manage your pain, you should be able to move more freely and hopefully feel less pain.
Arthritis
Review Date: 10/18/2019
Reviewed By: Gordon A. Starkebaum, MD, MACR, ABIM Board Certified in Rheumatology, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Animations
Browse All
- Allergies
- Alzheimer disease
- Ankle ligament injury
- Arrhythmias
- Atherosclerosis
- Athetosis resulting from basal...
- Balloon angioplasty - short se...
- Bladder function - neurologica...
- Blinking
- Blood clotting
- Blood flow
- Blood pressure
- Bone fracture repair
- Brain components
- Breast lift
- Breathing
- Bunion
- Cancer of the throat or larynx...
- Cardiac conduction system
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiovascular system
- Cataract
- Cell division
- Cerebral aneurysm
- Cesarean section
- Components of skin
- Conception - general
- Conception - pregnancy
- Conception of identical twins...
- Concussion
- Corneal injury
- Coronary artery bypass graft (...
- Coronary artery disease
- Cosmetic surgery of the face
- Coughing
- Diabetes - retinal conditions...
- Digestion
- Directional coronary atherecto...
- Early labor
- Egg cell production
- Egg production
- Endocrine glands
- Enlarged prostate gland
- Epinephrine and exercise
- Exercise
- Feeling pain
- Fetal ear development
- Formation of twins
- Gas exchange
- Glaucoma
- Gout
- Hearing
- Hearing and the cochlea
- Heart bypass surgery
- Heart formation
- Heartbeat
- Heartburn
- Herniated nucleus pulposus (sl...
- Homeostasis
- Human face formation
- Hypertension - overview
- Immune response
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injecti...
- Kidney stones
- Kids - How big is the baby?
- Kids - How does the baby come ...
- Kids - Is it a girl or boy?
- Kids - Umbilical cord
- Kids - Where do babies come fr...
- Liposuction
- Lymph nodes
- Lymphatics and the breast
- Macular degeneration
- Muscle types
- Nerve conduction
- Nervous system formation
- Nutrient exchange
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Ovulation
- Parkinson disease
- Percutaneous transluminal coro...
- Peristalsis
- Phagocytosis
- Pituitary gland
- Placenta delivery
- Placenta formation
- Preeclampsia
- Pregnancy
- Red blood cell production
- Reflex response
- Retina
- Retinal detachment
- Rupturing membranes
- Seeing
- Sexual differentiation
- Shoulder joint dislocation
- Skeletal formation
- Skeletal muscle
- Skeletal system components
- Skin conditions
- Smelling
- Smoking
- Snoring
- Sperm production
- Sperm release pathway
- Stomach ulcer
- Stomach ulcer
- Stroke
- Stroke - secondary to cardioge...
- Sun's effect on skin
- Swallowing
- Sweating
- Tachycardia
- Tasting
- The role of amniotic fluid
- Tobacco use - effects on arter...
- Twin-to-twin transfusion syndr...
- Ultrasound
- Urination
- Vaccines
- Vaginal delivery
- Vasectomy
Videos
Browse All
- Diabetes
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Abdominal pain
- ACL injury
- Acne
- Adenoid removal
- Adolescent depression
- After your child's ear tube su...
- After your child's inguinal he...
- After your child's tonsil or a...
- After your child's umbilical h...
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Allergic rhinitis
- Allergies
- Allergy testing
- Allergy to mold - animal dande...
- Alzheimer disease
- Anemia
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anterior shoulder stretch
- Anti-reflux surgery
- Appendectomy
- Appendicitis
- Arm reach
- Arthritis
- Asperger syndrome
- Asthma
- Asthma - children
- Atopic dermatitis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Attention deficit hyperactivit...
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Before a child's tonsil or ade...
- Bipolar disorder
- Breast cancer
- Breast engorgement
- Breast self-exam
- Breastfeeding
- Bronchitis
- Bronchoscopy
- Cardiac catheterization
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cataracts
- Cerebral palsy
- Cervical cancer
- Chest pain
- Childhood obesity
- Cholesterol and triglyceride t...
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary ...
- Cluster headache
- Cold treatments for kids
- Colon cancer
- Colon cancer screening
- Colorectal polyps
- Common cold
- Concussion
- Crohn disease
- C-section
- Cystic fibrosis
- Cystic fibrosis - nutritional ...
- Depression
- Dialysis
- Diarrhea
- Ear infection - acute
- Ear infection - chronic
- Ear tube insertion
- Earache
- Electrocardiogram
- Endometriosis
- Enlarged adenoids
- Enlarged prostate
- Epilepsy
- Erection problems
- Essential hypertension
- External rotation with band
- Fibromyalgia
- Flu
- Food poisoning
- Foot pain
- Gallstones
- Gastroesophageal reflux diseas...
- Gastroesophageal reflux in inf...
- Getting rid of lice in the hom...
- Glaucoma
- Hardening of arteries
- HbA1c
- Head injury
- Head lice
- Healthy Guide to Fast Food
- Hearing loss
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Heel pain
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hernia
- Herniated disk
- Hip joint replacement
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- How do ear tubes come out?
- How to remove a splinter
- How to stop bedwetting
- How to treat a nosebleed
- How to treat a sunburn
- How to use a peak flow meter
- How to use a pill cutter
- How to use eye drops
- How to use nasal sprays
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Hysterectomy
- Infant formulas
- Inguinal hernia repair
- Inhaler with no spacer - adult...
- Inhaler with no spacer - child...
- Inhaler with spacer - adults
- Inhaler with spacer - child
- Insomnia
- Internal rotation with band
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Isometric
- Kidney stones
- Knee joint replacement
- Let's talk about pink eye
- Lung cancer
- Lyme disease
- Melanoma
- Menopause
- Migraine
- Multiple sclerosis
- Nasal congestion
- Neck pain
- Newborn jaundice
- NICU consultants and support s...
- Nuclear stress test
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Pap smear
- Pendulum exercise
- Peptic ulcer
- Pharyngitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Pneumonia
- Pregnancy care
- Prepare for your child's ear t...
- Prepare for your child's herni...
- Prostate cancer
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rotator cuff problems
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Seizures
- Shingles
- Shoulder blade retraction
- Shoulder blade retraction with...
- Shoulder pain
- Sinusitis
- Sleep disorders
- Smoking tips to quit
- Spinal stenosis
- Stent
- Storing breast milk
- Strep throat
- Stretching back of your should...
- Stroke
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Tension headache
- The difference between a cold ...
- Tips on buying cold and flu me...
- Tips on removing ear wax
- Tonsillectomy
- Tonsillitis
- Tracking your blood pressure a...
- Treating congestion in babies...
- Treating eyelid bumps
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Ulcerative colitis
- Understanding cholesterol resu...
- Up the back stretch
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary tract infection - adul...
- Uterine fibroids
- Vacation health care
- Varicose veins
- Venous insufficiency
- Wall push-up
- Wall stretch
- Warts
- What are hives?
- What are night terrors?
- What causes wheezing?
- What in the world is a neti po...
- What is tennis elbow?
- What makes your heart beat?
- What to do when kids put thing...
- What to do when kids put thing...
- What to do when something gets...