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Alicia, 60, is an avid hiker but lately, her knees and hips bother her on the hills. Sometimes, her painful left hip wakes her up at night.
Emily, 47, has sore, swollen fingers that make it hard to use the computer. She worries she may have to stop working.
Craig, 58, wakes up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in his big toe. It hurts so much, he’s had to call in sick and work from home.
What do Alicia, Emily, and Craig have in common? If you guessed arthritis, you’re only partly right. They do all have some type of arthritis, but the key word here is "type." In medical terms, arthritis means inflammation of the joints. That broad description encompasses more than 100 different medical conditions whose prevalence, cause, severity, and treatment vary greatly.
Alicia has the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, which affects 32.5 million American adults. OA is caused by damage to joint cartilage due to overuse, injury, and wear and tear over time. In osteoarthritis the cartilage that cushions the ends of the joints breaks down and wears away, causing swelling, pain, stiffness, and mobility issues. Over time, some people may be unable to work or even perform daily tasks due to reduced function.
People with OA can be treated by their regular doctor. In advanced cases, they may want to consult an orthopedist about possible surgery. Because OA is due to physical damage, there is no cure. Doctors may recommend:
Emily has Rheumatoid Arthritis, an autoimmune disorder that affects some 1.3 million Americans. Autoimmune disorders are conditions in which the immune system attacks healthy cells in the body, causing inflammation and other complications. Like OA, RA affects the joints, resulting in pain, stiffness, and mobility issues that may eventually lead to disability. However, whereas OA involves damage to protective cartilage, RA is caused by inflammation of the synovial membrane that protects and lubricates the joints. RA also differs from OA in these important ways:
People with RA should be seen by a rheumatologist – a specialist in diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones. RA is a chronic condition that can’t be cured, but effective treatment could relieve symptoms.
Craig's painful big toe is a classic symptom of gout, a form of arthritis that affects one joint at a time. Like RA, gout has flareups and periods of remission, but it is not an autoimmune disease. It is caused by hypouricemia, an excess of uric acid in the body. The acid can form crystals that build up, notably in that troublesome big toe, and the affected joint becomes hot, swollen, and painful. People with gout also tend to develop kidney stones and hard uric acid deposits under the skin, called tophi.
Gout requires treatment by a rheumatologist. Treatment involves:
Most types of arthritis are autoimmune conditions, all of which are best treated by a rheumatologist. The types listed below are some of the more common.
Learn more about arthritis treatments at El Camino Health.
This article appeared in the March 2024 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.
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