Types of Arthritis

Physiotherapy treatment for different types of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis in the UK and affects over a million people. Osteo causes the joints to become painful and stiff, normally developing over time and can affect different joints, most frequently seen in the hands, hips, feet and spine. Osteoarthritis is normally associated with the ageing process but it can occur earlier in some individuals. There are some inherited and lifestyle factors which can affect how early or late that you may develop the symptoms

With Osteoarthritis there are changes in joint surface cartilage, the underlying bone thickens and broadens to reduce the load on the cartilage, bony growths form at the outer edges of the joint giving the appearance of a knobbly joint, the synovial membrane and joint capsule thicken, reducing the space inside the joint, this leads to a stiff joint, joint pain and inflammation.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune chronic progressive disease-causing inflammation which affects the joints and tendons. It is also a systemic disease meaning that it doesn't just affect the body's joints, the progressive autoimmune disease causes signs like joint pain and swelling in the feet and hands, but can affect many other joints in the body. 

With RA, the immune system becomes too active and attacks the synovial lining of your joints, this causes the inflammation and tends to affect the body symmetrically.  It tends to affect the small joints in hands and feet first, often the knuckle joints in the fingers.

Psoriatic Arthritis.

Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of your body, including your knees, ankles, hands and feet, and can range from relatively mild to severe and almost 1 in 3 people with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis

Ankylosing Spondylitis

The symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) usually develop slowly over several months or years. The symptoms may come and go, and improve or get worse, over many years. The main symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis are Back pain and stiffness, inflammation of the joints, Enthesitis and Fatigue.

Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) – lupus – is a long-term condition causing inflammation to the joints, skin and other organs. This can result in joint pain and stiffness, extreme tiredness that will not go away no matter how much you rest, skin rashes – often over the nose and cheeks.

Gout

a type of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the body. This can be left in joints (usually affecting the big toe), but can develop in any joint. It causes intense pain, redness and swelling. Symptoms can be sudden severe pain in any joint – usually the big toe, or fingers, wrists, elbows or knees, red, hot, swollen skin over the affected joint.

Common Symptoms of Arthritis

 As there are many forms of arthritis there is also a wide range of symptoms you should be looking out for things like pain stiffness and swelling, early morning joint stiffness, a decrease in the range of motion with worst symptoms in the morning, tiredness or fatigue, generally feeling unwell, joint tenderness or pain during movement or while at rest, sometimes with an associated redness around the joint of the skin.

Treatment

Treatment can include joint mobilisations and soft tissue release, use of tape or splints to support the area, exercise therapy, TENs, acupuncture, lifestyle changes aids and adaptations.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia causes pain in the body's muscles, ligaments and tendons. Patients suffering with this may have an increased sensitivity to pain, extreme tiredness (fatigue), muscle stiffness, difficulty sleeping. Exercise, in particular, has been found to have a number of important benefits for people with fibromyalgia, including helping to reduce arthritis pain.