What Are The Two Types Of Arthritis – Arthritis and tendonitis can cause severe pain, but they are two different conditions. Learn the difference between arthritis, which involves inflammation of the joints, and tendonitis, which involves inflammation of the tendons.
Everyone feels pain sometimes. But the pain is so bad that you can barely function, it is a danger sign that should draw your attention. If you’ve been having a lot of elbow or shoulder pain lately, it’s entirely possible that you’re back to tennis or acid ball. If a finger hurts and becomes blocked when you try to extend it fully, it may be due to too much typing and texting. But what actually happens in your body? The cause of these problems can be arthritis or tendonitis. Unfortunately, the difference between arthritis and tendonitis is not always so clear. This means you’ll need medical help to find the cause of the pain — and figure out how to treat it so you can feel better.
Table of Contents
- What Are The Two Types Of Arthritis
- Effects Of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Skeletal System, Immune, More
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (ra): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Faqs
- Inflammatory Polyarthropathy, Inflammatory Arthritis, And Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Symptoms Of Osteoarthritis You Might Be Ignoring
- Joint Pain: Causes, Treatment Options, And More
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Complications: What Ra Patients Need To Know
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Signs And Symptoms: Early And Late Stage
- Arthritis Of The Foot And Ankle
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Stages And Progression
What Are The Two Types Of Arthritis
Both tendonitis and arthritis can cause pain and swelling in or around the joint, hence the confusion. Although arthritis refers to inflammation of the joints and tendonitis refers to inflammation of the tendons (which connect muscles to bones), don’t assume that you can locate the source of your trouble. “Patients simply notice that the area is painful or they notice that it is swollen or reddened,” says Joseph E. Huffstutter, MD, a rheumatologist and partner at Arthritis Associates in Hixon, Tennessee.
Effects Of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Skeletal System, Immune, More
Whether you have a pre-existing condition like arthritis or not, it is best to visit a doctor and get a proper diagnosis so you can get the right treatment.
By definition, arthritis means inflammation in or directly around a joint. Tendonitis, on the other hand, is the inflammation of tendons, the flexible, thread-like cords that connect muscles to bones.
To further add to the confusion, many people with inflammatory arthritis – especially axial spondyloarthritis or psoriatic arthritis – develop something called enthesitis as part of their disease.
Enthesitis is inflammation of the point (enthesis) where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bone. Dr. Huffstutter says.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (ra): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Faqs
In other words, enthesitis and tendonitis are not technically the same thing. But they can cause similar symptoms and be mistaken for each other.
In short, no. Although both involve inflammation – arthritis is inflammation of the joints and tendonitis is inflammation of tendons – the presence of one does not directly cause the development of the other.
That is, these conditions sometimes overlap. “People with psoriatic arthritis often develop enthesitis and tendonitis,” says Dr. Huffstutter. In fact, enthesitis is a unique feature of psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis (compared to other types of inflammatory arthritis).
Both arthritis and tendonitis can cause pain, swelling and inflammation. If you feel like this is happening around the wrist, it can be difficult to know what the problem is. Both arthritis and tendonitis can be caused by:
Inflammatory Polyarthropathy, Inflammatory Arthritis, And Rheumatoid Arthritis
Because symptoms can be very similar, doctors may rely heavily on information about where the pain occurs and when the pain first started to determine whether your problem is arthritis or tendonitis. For example, pain in a knee that gradually worsens over the years is more likely to be osteoarthritis, while sudden pain in the back of the ankle is more likely to be Achilles tendonitis. Your doctor should also pay attention to risk factors that may make you more susceptible to one or the other.
If you suspect you have tendonitis – or if you have pain and you’re not sure whether it’s tendonitis or arthritis – there are several ways your doctor can diagnose it. This also includes:
There are many ways to get relief from tendonitis pain. Sometimes rest and applying ice to the affected area is enough. However, additional treatments may include:
Whichever option you and your doctor choose, you should know that most people make a full recovery from tendonitis. Sometimes the problem resolves on its own, although it may take a few weeks or even months, so be patient.
Symptoms Of Osteoarthritis You Might Be Ignoring
Interview with Dana Barsoum, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York
A digital community for millions of arthritis patients and caregivers around the world seeking education, support, advocacy, and patient-centered research. We advocate for patients through our popular social media channels, website and 50-state network of approximately 1,500 trained patient volunteers, caregivers and healthcare workers. Learn how the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of RA and OA differ—and why this information can help you work with your doctor to get the best care.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) can cause significant pain and joint problems, but they are two different types of arthritis.
RA is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system goes haywire and begins attacking healthy tissues, primarily the synovium (joint lining). The same inflammation that affects joints can also damage organs including the eyes, skin, heart and lungs.
Joint Pain: Causes, Treatment Options, And More
Unlike RA, OA is not an autoimmune disease. You get it when articular cartilage – the smooth, white tissue at the ends of bones where they meet to form joints – breaks down. This failure is the result of daily wear and tear.
“As I like to tell my patients, OA is a wear-and-tear type of arthritis, whereas RA is an autoimmune disease, where you try to fix the problem as closely as possible,” says Dr. Jiha Lee is a rheumatologist at Michigan Health University.
These are the main differences between RA and OA. But several differences can help your doctor determine what type of arthritis you have and what treatment options are available.
According to a 2020 report from Preventive Medicine Reports, OA affects more than 30 million adults in the US, making it one of the most common arthritis conditions. RA, on the other hand, is the most common systemic (whole body) autoimmune disease, affecting about 0.5 to 1.0 percent of the U.S. population.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Complications: What Ra Patients Need To Know
Both RA and OA cause inflammation in the joints, but RA causes more inflammation. In recent years, researchers have discovered that inflammation can occur in OA, leading to radiographic progression and pain, but they are uncertain about the role of inflammation and whether it is a cause or consequence of OA.
The symptoms of OA and RA can be similar, but RA often affects multiple joints symmetrically (on both sides of the body). OA will affect certain joints on only one side of the body. RA also causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and malaise (generally feeling unwell).
The development of RA is more difficult to predict. Because symptoms are limited to the affected joints, OA can be more predictable. Despite this, OA can still be a debilitating condition.
“Both conditions cause major disability and loss of function. In the case of RA, we have treatments that can slow the disease process and achieve remission. “With OA, there is progression over time that may require surgery,” Dr. Lee said.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Signs And Symptoms: Early And Late Stage
The goals of treatment for both RA and OA are the same – maintaining joint function, reducing pain, and reducing the chance of joint damage. However, these conditions must be treated and treated differently, which is why it is important to get the correct diagnosis.
Diagnosis of RA involves history, physical examination, blood tests, and imaging studies. With RA, your medical history is helpful because the disease has a genetic component.
Diagnosis of OA usually involves history, physical examination, and imaging studies. Blood tests may be done to detect RA and other types of autoimmune arthritis.
With this overlap in diagnosis, RA is sometimes confused with OA – “often so, especially as patients age,” says Dr. Lee. This is especially common in erosive OA. “Sometimes this can be wrong, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment.” Erosive OA is a rare, more severe type of OA that involves bone erosion and cartilage damage in the fingers.
Arthritis Of The Foot And Ankle
According to Dr. For Lee, X-rays, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help differentiate RA from OA. “They have different patterns in terms of joint damage.”
Dr. Lee says X-rays may be less reliable in the early stages. “It takes time for changes to show up on an X-ray. Ultrasound and MRI can show inflammation better and you’re more likely to have OA and RA.
Different types of imaging can reveal different patterns of arthritis damage in both RA and OA. For example, X-rays can visualize cartilage damage, bone spurs, and other bone damage. MRI and ultrasound can produce more detailed images of soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments, cartilage and the synovial lining of joints.
In OA, imaging can reveal joint damage in weight-bearing joints, primarily the knees and hips. “With this, you’ll see a narrowing of the joint space between the bones in the joint where the cartilage wears away,” he says.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Stages And Progression
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