Types of Arthritis / Autoimmune Diseases

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Childhood/Juvenile Arthritis

Chronic Back Injury/Pain

Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)

Fibromyalgia (FM)

Gout

Infectious Arthritis

Lupus

Lyme Disease

Osteoarthritis

Osteoporosis

Paget's Disease

Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis

Pseudogout

Psoriatic Arthritis

Raynaud's Phenomenon

Reactive Arthritis

Repetitive Stress Injury

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Scleroderma

Sjögren's Syndrome



Ankylosing Spondylitis
This condition refers to arthritis involving the spine. Symptoms include pain and stiffness of the back, ribs, shoulder blades, hips, thighs, shins, heels, and along the bony points of the spine as a result of swelling and irritation (inflammation) in the vertebrae which may ultimately make the vertebrae fuse together. Frequently, the pain causes the patient into a hunched posture.


Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which the nerve that travels down the arm into the hand becomes compressed or squeezed as it passes through the wrist. The pressure on the wrist can cause the fingers and thumb to feel tingly and numb.


Childhood/Juvenile Arthritis
As in adults, childhood/juvenile arthritis refers to the prolonged inflammation/stiffness/swelling of joints which causes pain. The condition is not caused by injury or illness, and lasts longer than six weeks. Childhood arthritis affects children under the age of 16.


Chronic Back Injury/Pain
Chronic Back Injury is a long-persisting pain in the back that affects posture and range of motion. This condition frequently affects the lower back (lumbar spine).


Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)
This condition is characterized by inflammation and excessive bone growth (bone spurs) along the sides of the spinal vertebrae or where tendons and ligaments attach to bone (e.g. elbow, knee, heel).


Fibromyalgia (FM)
Fibromyalgia is widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. Patients with FM often seem to ache all over and have trouble sleeping.


Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis in which uric acid (a common waste product in urine that is eliminated from the body by the kidneys) accumulates and forms crystal deposits in the joints causing pain, swelling, and tenderness (inflammation). Gout frequently affects the big toe, ankle, foot, knee, hand, wrist, and elbow.


Infectious Arthritis
Infectious Arthritis refers to pain and swelling (inflammation) of one or more joints caused by a germ (bacterial, viral, or fungal infection). This type of arthritis does not usually last a long time, especially if it is detected and treated early.


Lupus
Lupus refers to a group of diseases in which the immune system, which normally fights off disease and infection, begins to attack healthy tissues in the body (a condition called “autoimmunity”). The most common and serious type of lupus is called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects the skin, muscles, joints, heart, lung, kidney, blood vessels, or nervous system. In SLE, the healthy tissue can swell and become painful, a period called a “flare-up.” These flares can be followed by lengths of time with no symptoms, called “remission.


Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease that can affect joints, nervous system, heart, and skin, caused by the bite of a tick (a small insect) that is infected with a germ. This germ can travel to different parts of the body through the blood stream, resulting in pain and swelling.


Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It occurs when bits of cartilage (the material that covers and protects the ends of bones) breaks off and causes pain and swelling in the joint between bones. Eventually, the cartilage can completely wear away, resulting in bones rubbing together. Though osteoarthritis can affect any joint, it frequently affects hips, knees, hands, and spine.


Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease where bone breaks down over time. The bones become thin, brittle and break easily. This condition occurs most often in the wrist, hip, and spine. Osteoporosis of the spine can eventually cause the vertebrae to collapse (“compression fracture”), resulting in hunched posture or “hump-back.”


Paget's Disease
Healthy bone cycles between periods of break-down and re-growth. In patients with Paget’s disease, the normal cycling is changed such that bones break down faster, and the new bone growth is softer and occasionally longer. As a result, bones are more flexible and easily broken. Paget’s disease can affect any bone, but usually it affects the skull, hip, pelvis, and bones in the legs and back.


Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a type of arthritis that affects the muscles, causing them to become stiff, tender, and sore, though the muscles do not weaken. The condition frequently affects the muscles in the neck, shoulders, lower back, hips, and thighs, likely as a result of blood vessel swelling. A related condition, giant cell arteritis, causes blood vessels in the front of the head to swell, often leading to blindness.


Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis
Polymyositis is a disease that causes muscles to weaken and shorten. This condition can affect all muscles as well as the heart and lungs. Dermatomyositis refers to s similar condition affecting the skin, causing a rash. Both polymyositis and dermatomyositis can last a very long time and can cycle between periods of strong symptoms (active periods) and diminished symptoms (remissions).


Pseudogout
Similar to gout, pseudogout is a type of arthritis resulting from the build-up of calcium in the body. In this case, calcium can crystallize and deposit in the joints causing swelling and pain (inflammation). The deposits can cause the break-down of cartilage in the joints, resulting in osteoarthritis.


Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis causes swelling and pain in joints, as well as a scaly rash on the skin. It can affect the back, wrists, knees, ankles, fingers, and toes. Psoriasis is a related skin disease that causes a scaly skin rash on the elbows, knees, and scalp.


Raynaud's Phenomenon
This condition results from the tightening of blood vessels under the skin, making it more difficult for blood to reach certain parts of the body, including fingers, toes, ears, and nose. These body parts may feel cold and turn blue.


Reactive Arthritis
Reactive arthritis results from a bacterial infection that spreads to the joints. As a result, the joints, such as those in the knees, ankles, and toes, swell and become painful (inflammation). A similar condition affecting areas besides the joints, such as eyes, skin, or muscle, is called Reiter’s syndrome.


Repetitive Stress Injury
A repetitive stress injury occurs when too much stress is placed on a joint, frequently when the same motion is performed over and over. This action can cause pain and swelling (inflammation) in muscles, tendons (tendonitis), and bursae (small, fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions between tendons and bones; bursitis).


Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis causes redness, pain, swelling, or a hot/warm feeling in the lining of a joint, frequently the hands and feet, or internal organs such as the eyes, lungs, and heart. The immune system, which normally functions to fight off disease, begins to attack healthy tissues in the joints in RA patients.


Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a condition in which skin becomes thick and hard. Localized scleroderma mainly affects the skin, but it can also affect muscles and joints. Generalized scleroderma affects skin and other internal organs including the heart, lung, and kidney.


Sjögren's Syndrome
Sjögren's (pronounced show-grens) syndrome is condition that causes dry mouth and eyes. It can also affect other parts of the body including joints, muscles, nerves, and organs such as the lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, stomach, and brain. It may affect the thyroid gland, as well as any other of the body's glands that help produce sweat, saliva, or oil.