Inflammatory Arthritis – Types, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatments

Inflammatory arthritis is not a single disease but a group of medical conditions that affect the joints and cause inflammation.

If you experience joint inflammation, you might be dealing with inflammatory arthritis. To learn more about your condition, you need to know the different types of inflammatory arthritis, their symptoms, and possible treatment options.

So, in the following article, we will explore these and more.

What is inflammatory arthritis?

Arthritis is an umbrella term for diseases that affect the joints and cause pain, swelling, and often inflammation. Many forms of arthritis are inflammatory diseases, but not all of them.

A common example of non-inflammatory arthritis could be osteoarthritis.

The question arises, why is it even necessary to differentiate between non-inflammatory and inflammatory arthritides? The reason for that is the difference in treatment methods.

Those with inflammatory arthritis will not only need to manage the pain symptoms but also treat the underlying inflammation and potentially the cause of that inflammation too.

Types of inflammatory arthritis

When we say inflammatory arthritis, we can refer to many different diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

An inflammatory autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis causes the immune system to attack healthy cells. Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may include joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Reactive arthritis (ReA)

Reactive arthritis, as the name suggests, usually develops as a reaction to an infection or food poisoning. It causes inflammation and pain in the joints.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the spine area leading to back pain and joint stiffness.

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriasis is an inflammatory autoimmune condition that causes the skin to form scaly patches. The disease might attack the joints, making them stiff and painful, called psoriatic arthritis.

Septic arthritis

Septic arthritis can develop as a result of an underlying infection. It’s often called infectious arthritis for this reason. With septic arthritis, early diagnosis is crucial to avoid permanent damage.

Gout

Gout is a disease where uric acid buildup creates sharp little crystals in the joints, causing pain flare-ups and inflammation.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

SLE is the most common form of lupus, an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the tissues in the body, including the joints.

Inflammatory arthritis symptoms

As we have seen, inflammatory arthritis has many different forms, and their symptoms could differ. What they all have in common is the inflammation of the joints, which leads to some typical symptoms across the different types.

• Joint pain
• Swelling
• Warmth
• Tenderness
• Stiffness, especially in the morning

Keep in mind that the above symptoms might also indicate non-inflammatory arthritis and other joint diseases as well.

Many forms of inflammatory arthritis are results of an underlying autoimmune disease, and those might affect other parts of the body, not just the joints. So people might experience other symptoms in addition to the ones listed above. These might include fatigue, pain, fever, weight loss, etc.

Diagnosing inflammatory arthritis

As inflammatory arthritis encompasses more than one disease, the methods of diagnosis can differ for each.

Doctors usually examine the symptoms, take blood and joint fluid samples, and order imaging tests like X-rays and MRIs.

With many forms of arthritis, early diagnosis is crucial, as it may increase your chances of avoiding permanent damage and more severe consequences. So, if you experience any of the previously mentioned symptoms, it’s advised that you book an appointment with your doctor.

Inflammatory arthritis treatment

As the root cause behind these inflammatory joint diseases can differ, so does the treatment for them. A few of them can be cured, others can go into remission, and with some, your best course of action is simply reducing the symptoms.

Relieving pain and reducing inflammation are common treatment goals with almost all forms of inflammatory arthritis.

These can be achieved with different medications, depending on the severity of the symptoms and other factors. Analgesic painkillers reduce the pain but not the inflammation, so doctors usually recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) instead. While NSAIDs can reduce the symptoms of pain and inflammation, they can’t stop the progression of the disease.

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are commonly used to treat inflammatory or autoimmune conditions. These drugs are immunosuppressants or immunomodulators, meaning that they usually reduce the activity of the immune system, which in turn slows down or stops autoimmune diseases. Their downside is that your body will be more vulnerable to other attacks because of the weaker immune system.

Another option for treating inflammatory arthritis is corticosteroids. These can be injected directly into the joints, reducing inflammation and suppressing the autoimmune reaction. Their effects can last for as long as a couple of months.

Other ways to reduce inflammation

While they don’t substitute proper medical treatment, some lifestyle changes and alternative methods might help reduce the inflammation in your body.

A healthy diet

Following an anti-inflammatory diet for arthritis can reduce symptoms and lead to an overall healthier lifestyle.

Grapes, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, blueberries, nuts, tea, and salmon are some of the best anti-inflammatory foods. Some spices like turmeric, rosemary, cumin, ginger, and cinnamon may also help with inflammation.

Some other foods are best to avoid. Red and processed meats, fried food, soda, and refined carbohydrates are all known for their inflammatory effects. Heavy alcohol consumption can also lead to increased inflammation, so it’s best to lower your intake of alcoholic drinks.

Regular exercise

Leading an active lifestyle has many benefits, including a protective effect against chronic inflammation.

In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects, regular exercise may also help you lose weight, reducing the load on the joints, which is beneficial for any form of arthritis.

However, arthritis patients should avoid further stress on the joints, so be mindful when choosing exercise options. Low-impact sports like tai-chi or swimming are preferable over high-impact movements like running.

Stress management

When we experience stress, our body releases different chemicals and hormones. These trigger a stress response, which is useful in the short term but it also suppresses many important bodily functions at the same time. When stress becomes chronic, this can negatively affect our bodies in many different ways, including increased inflammation.

Therefore, managing everyday stress levels can help ease the symptoms of inflammatory diseases and provide many other benefits.

While we can’t eliminate stressors from our lives completely, meditation and breathing exercises can reduce their effects.

Cold therapy

Temperature therapy is a commonly recommended alternative method for joint pain relief. It’s effective, easy to use, and doesn’t interfere with medications.

But when dealing with inflammatory arthritis, it’s best to avoid heat therapy because it stimulates inflammation.

Cold therapy, on the other hand, can not only offer pain relief but also reduces inflammation and swelling.