What are the symptoms of arthritis?

Joint pain and stiffness commonly characterize arthritis, but it can also cause:

• Swelling of your joints
• Pain in one or more joints on one side of your body
• Pain in the same joints on both sides of your body, like your knees, hips, or shoulders
• Decreased range of motion
• Redness over the arthritic joint
• Joint deformity

Arthritis symptoms can flare up due to cold weather, a lack of physical activity or too much activity, or increased inflammation from your diet or lifestyle.

What causes arthritis?

Four main types of arthritis determine the cause of your symptoms. Types of arthritis include:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and is caused by wear-and-tear or trauma to your joints.

Inflammatory arthritis

Inflammatory arthritis is caused by any inflammatory condition that attacks your joints, like psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus.

Infectious arthritis

Infectious arthritis occurs when an infection damages a joint. This may be due to a skin infection that spreads to your joint or an infection that develops after surgery. Infectious arthritis is a medical emergency.

Metabolic arthritis

Metabolic arthritis is the result of the deposit of metabolic products into your joints through your bloodstream; gout is the most common form.

Based on the location of your pain, medical history, and symptoms, your Elite Integrative Medical provider can narrow down which category of arthritis you have.