Let's help you understand arthritis

There are several types of arthritis that people can experience, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which are the two most common forms. We’ve outlined some of the main things to know about the different types of arthritis below. If you’re concerned about your symptoms or think you might have any form of arthritis, speak to your GP.

Osteoarthritis causes joints to become difficult to move, stiff, and painful. Some people might also experience tenderness, swelling, and a crackling or grating sound when they move the affected joints. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, they may come and go, or they may be continuous and they can affect any joint but are most common in the knees, hips, and small joints of the hands.

Osteoarthritis happens when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones breaks down, leading to pain, swelling, redness, and problems moving the joint. The exact cause isn’t known, but risk factors can include joint injury, advancing age, a family history of osteoarthritis, obesity, and being female.

Secondary arthritis is when osteoarthritis occurs in joints that have been badly damaged by another previous or existing condition, like rheumatoid arthritis or gout.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints, most commonly in the wrists, hands and feet. The immune system which usually fights infection attacks the cells that line your joints by mistake, which leads to these symptoms. This can eventually cause damage to the joints, cartilage and nearby bones.

There might be times when symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis get worse, known as flare-ups or flares, however, it’s possible to reduce the frequency of flares and reduce or prevent long-term damage to the joints with treatment.

It’s not known what triggers rheumatoid arthritis, but risk factors include being female, a family history of rheumatoid arthritis, and being a smoker. If you think you might have rheumatoid arthritis, it’s important to see your GP quickly, as early diagnosis and treatment enables many people to have periods of months or years between flares. Treatment can slow the progress of the condition and improve quality of life.

Psoriatic arthritis affects almost one in three people with the skin condition psoriasis, and causes affected joints to become swollen, stiff and painful. It can affect any joint in the body but is most common in the knees, elbows, hands, feet, neck and spine.

It’s a long-term condition which can get worse over time, but early diagnosis and treatment can help relieve symptoms, slow down the progression of the condition and improve quality of life. If you have any symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, speak to your GP, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with psoriasis. If you’ve been diagnosed with psoriasis, you should have check-ups at least once a year to monitor your condition. Make sure you let the doctor know if you’re experiencing any problems with your joints.

Gout is a form of arthritis that causes sudden, severe joint pain, and is caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood. If you produce too much uric acid or your kidneys don’t filter enough out, it can build up and cause crystals to form in and around your joints.

Symptoms of gout include sudden, severe joint pain usually in your big toe but can be any joint in your hands, feet, wrists, elbows or knees, swelling in and around the joint, red, shiny skin over the joint and the joint feeling hot and very tender. These symptoms come on rapidly in a few hours, and usually last between five to seven days, then gets better. You should see a GP if you have any symptoms of gout.

If you’ve been diagnosed with any form of arthritis it’s likely that you’ll be under the care of a GP or specialist doctor who will discuss your treatment options with you and help manage ongoing care for your particular condition. Self-care advice will differ depending on the type of arthritis you have so it’s important to always follow the advice of your GP or specialist doctor. If you haven’t been diagnosed with arthritis but you think you may have arthritis speak to your GP in order to get a diagnosis and care plan in place.

In addition to the lifestyle changes and supportive measures covered in the ‘Living with arthritis’ section, there are other treatments available to help relieve symptoms and medication that may help, although the treatments suited to different types of arthritis will differ.

There are, however, broad categories of treatment that may be suitable for you if you’ve been diagnosed with a form of arthritis.

• Medication: there are several types of medicines that can be used to help treat arthritis, by helping to relieve symptoms or slow the progress of certain types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis. Your GP or specialist doctor will discuss your options with you, taking into consideration the type of arthritis you have, and your overall health. If you have a regular prescription you can order your repeat prescription online using the Boots Online Prescription service, click here to find out more.
• Pain relief medicine: your doctor may advise you to use pain relief to relieve the pain caused by your arthritis, if suitable for you. This may include paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, as well as prescription medicines (always read the label).
• Surgical treatment: not everyone who has arthritis will need surgery, but it can be an option to reduce pain and improve mobility. Types of surgery can include joint fusion or joint replacement surgery. Speak to your GP to discuss your treatment options.

Although living with arthritis can be challenging, there are things you can do to help improve your quality of life, from self-care to related services available to you.

• Eating healthily: eating a healthy balanced diet can help ensure you get all of the nutrients you need, to help you to maintain a healthy weight which can ease pressure on your joints.
• Exercise: being active can help reduce or prevent pain, as long as you choose the right type and level for you. Your GP or specialist doctor can advise you on what’s best for you. You can read more about how to find an exercise routine that works for you here.
• Joint care: this simply means looking after your joints to help minimise further damage. This can include not gripping things too tightly, or using several joints to spread the weight of an object (for instance by using a rucksack).
• Adapting your home: there are some practical changes you can make at home to make life easier, for instance using a handrail to help you get up and down the stairs or using electric kitchen equipment (for instance an electric tin opener) to help you. You can browse the full range of mobility and daily living aids here
• Occupational therapy: occupational therapists can advise you on the equipment you might need to help you live independently with your condition if you have severe arthritis. Your GP may be able to refer you, or you might need to access it through your local council.
• Heat treatments: for instance the Cura-Heat Direct to Skin Neck & Shoulder Pain Relief or Boots direct to skin heat patch can help to reduce pain associated with arthritis.
• Cold treatments: cold packs such as Boots hot or cold compress can help to reduce arthritis pain. Filling a hot water bottle with cold water can be an effective way of achieving this.
• Joint supports: like the Neo G Stabilised Open Knee Support – Universal Size or the Neo G Comfort/Relief Arthritis Gloves can help to provide warmth and compression.
• Physiotherapy: manual therapy, a form of physiotherapy where the physiotherapist uses their hands to stretch, mobilise and massage the tissue around your joints to keep them supple and flexible, can help with the symptoms of arthritis. Physiotherapists can also provide guidance on the type of exercise suitable for someone with arthritis.

Whilst arthritis is more commonly found in older people, it can affect children too – most types are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). They cause pain and inflammation in one or more joints, and last for a minimum of six weeks.

The cause of JIA is unknown, but often improves with age, which means that many children who’ve been impacted will be able to lead a normal life. Some of the different types of JIA include:

• Oligo-articular JIA (oligoarthritis)
• Polyarticular JIA (polyarthritis)
• Systemic onset JIA
• Enthesitis-related arthritis

The NHS has more information on the different types of JIA .