Did you know that there are more than 100 types of arthritis? Below you will find just a few with the link to a full list…
Osteoarthritis
Appears at a later age usually around 50 where the cartilage of the bones that cushions them has been dried up or used. The wear and tear of this cartilage exposes the bones against each other and through friction produces intense pain.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints, skin and vital organs of the body.
Juvenile Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis in children is called Juvenile arthritis. There are more than 300,000 children diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in the United States. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or JRA, is another auto-immune condition, but it tends to affect children and adolescents. There is a broad spectrum of JRA, with some patients having just one joint involved, and others having many problems. The most commonly involved joint in JRA is the knee.
Gout Arthritis
Gout arthritis is a condition that is caused by the accumulation of crystals made of urate within the joint. The urate crystals are formed by an unusual breakdown of a normal body substance. Accumulations of urate within a joint causes gout arthritis. The most commonly affected joints are the big toe and the knee. Fortunately, gouty arthritis has effective treatments.
Pseudogout Arthritis
Pseudogout causes a similar type of arthritis as gout, but the underlying problem is different. Pseudogout arthritis is due to the accumulation of calcium deposits within the joint. Pseudogout is most commonly seen in the knee joint.
Lupus Arthritis
Lupus arthritis is the most common manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or SLE. SLE, like rheumatoid arthritis, is an auto-immune condition where the body’s immune system causes damage to the joints. The most commonly affected joints in SLE are the hands, wrists, and knees.
Spondyloarthropathies
The spondyloarthropathies are a family of chronic diseases affecting the joints, tendons and ligaments, especially those of the spine. The spondyloarthropathies are a specific chromosomal pattern, and thought to be related to a patient’s genetics.
Infectious Arthritis
Infections within a joint cause inflammation leading to infectious arthritis. Other names for infectious arthritis include bacterial arthritis and septic arthritis. Treatment of septic arthritis depends on what is causing the infection, but often requires surgery to clean the infection from the joint.
Hemorrhagic Arthritis
Several conditions can cause bleeding within a joint leading to joint inflammation, or arthritis. These conditions include hemophilia, sickle cell disease, and pigmented villonodular synovitis. All of these conditions all blood to accumulate within the joint causing swelling and pain.