Arthritis describes more than 100 conditions affecting joints, surrounding tissues, and other connective tissues. Many forms of arthritis are characterized by joint pain and stiffness, but specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis. Although arthritis has no cure, your pain management physician Dallas offers various treatments, including lifestyle and home remedies, medications, therapy, and surgery. The treatment your specialist recommends depends on the type of arthritis you have, but all treatments have one goal, to limit pain and inflammation and preserve joint function.

Osteoarthritis

Many people with arthritis have this condition more than any other form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when joint cartilage wear and tears, usually because of overuse. It mainly happens with age, but it can also be due to joint injuries and obesity, which puts additional stress on your joints. The most commonly affected places include weight-bearing joints, such as your spine, hips, knees, and feet. Osteoarthritis develops gradually over months or years, and unlike other types of arthritis, you don’t feel sick or experience fatigue. The signature symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain and stiffness in the affected joints. You will most likely experience stiffness in the morning or after resting and pain when walking.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy parts, especially the joints. It causes inflammation, which can result in severe joint damage when left untreated. Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis may also have rheumatoid nodules; these usually form over joint areas that receive pressure. Examples include the elbows, knuckles, or heels.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can occur gradually or suddenly and are often more severe than osteoarthritis. The most common symptoms of RA include pain, stiffness, and swelling in your shoulders, elbows, hands, wrists, knees, ankles, feet, neck, and jaw. Joint stiffness is usually severe in the morning and may last for hours or most of the day. Other symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, and unintended weight loss.

Gout

Gout results from a buildup of uric acid crystals in a joint, often the big toe joint or another part of your foot. If you have gout, you often wake up with a sudden, sharp pain in your big toe after a night of drinking. Other gout attack triggers include stress, drugs, or another illness. A gout attack lasts between three to ten days, even without treatment. It may take months or even years before you have another one, but over time, attacks become more frequent and may last longer. When left untreated for too long, gout can attack your kidneys.

Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects your joints and many other body organs. Like rheumatoid arthritis, the cause is unknown, but something makes your immune system go awry. Instead of attacking invaders like bacteria and viruses, it attacks healthy tissues, causing pain and inflammation throughout your body, from joints to organs like your brain.

Lupus is more likely to affect women of child-bearing age than men and African-American women more often than white women.

If you have painful and swollen joints, visit your doctor at Magnolia Pain Associates for diagnosis and treatment to improve your quality of life.