Arthritis

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a condition that causes painful, swollen joints. This can happen as naturally as you age or in younger people who have a predisposition toward developing arthritis.

There are two major kinds of arthritis:

• Osteoarthritis — arthritis due to joints wearing out.
• Rheumatoid arthritis — arthritis due to your own immune system attacking your joints.

Other types of arthritis include:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Gonococcal arthritis
• Gout
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (in children)
• Other bacterial infections (nongonococcal bacterial arthritis)
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Reactive arthritis (Reiter syndrome)
• Scleroderma
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

How is Arthritis Diagnosed?

Arthritis can be diagnosed by:

• Learning about your history of swollen joints
• Physical examination the joints
• X-rays of the affected joints
• Blood tests

How is Arthritis Treated?

Arthritis is treated with oral medicines and exercise designed to help keep the joints moving without injury.

Contact Us

If you have swollen or painful joints, contact one of our family medicine locations.

Arthritis: Additional Resources

Visit our Health Library for more information:

• Osteoarthritis
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Gout
• Juvenile Idiopathic (Rheumatoid) Arthritis
• Psoriatic Arthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (in Adults)
• Scleroderma
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)