Your joints are critical to your ability to move. If you have ongoing joint pain or aching not caused by an injury, your pain may be caused by arthritis.
But don't assume that all arthritis is created equal. There are many reasons someone may develop arthritis. Understanding what's causing yours can be key to relieving the symptoms.
"There are many types of arthritis," says Emily M. Miller, MD, a UCLA Health sports medicine physician. "The two most common types — osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis — are caused by different issues and require different approaches to care and treatment."
Ultimately, a health care provider is the only one who can make a true diagnosis. But Dr. Miller shares some insight to help you identify and manage arthritis-related joint pain:
Osteoarthritis vs inflammatory arthritis
There are more than 100 types of arthritis, and joint pain is the main symptom for most of them. Most arthritis-related joint pain falls into one of two categories based on what’s causing the pain:
- Age-related: Years of wear and tear can cause deterioration of the cartilage that cushions your joints. Sometimes the body responds with an immune reaction that may cause inflammation around the joint, which worsens the pain. The most common age-related arthritis is osteoarthritis.
- Inflammatory: Systemic inflammation — often due to an autoimmune disease — attacks joint cartilage and linings, causing pain.
"Both types of arthritis involve inflammation and swelling, but in different ways," Dr. Miller says. "If your arthritis is due to an underlying inflammatory or autoimmune condition, it's critical to identify that cause and treat it accordingly."
How to know what might be causing your joint pain
Since inflammation is the culprit with osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis, it can be challenging to identify a specific underlying cause. However, Dr. Miller says certain factors may provide clues about what type of arthritis is causing your pain.
Ask yourself:
- How many joints are painful? Osteoarthritis-related joint pain tends to affect one joint at a time. Multiple achy, painful joints at the same time could suggest an inflammatory condition.
- Does the pain feel better with movement? Osteoarthritis pain after periods of inactivity often subsides once you start moving again. However, you may have swelling and inflammation after physical activity stops. Inflammatory arthritis pain typically causes morning stiffness for an hour or more after you wake. It can sometimes (but not always) feel better once the stiffness subsides and you start movement.
- Does your joint make a creaking noise or feel like it's grinding? Osteoarthritis is associated with crepitus (joint creaking or grinding) caused by worn-down cartilage.
- Is your joint pain constant? Age-related arthritis can come and go, while inflammatory arthritis is more constant.
- How old are you? The older you are, the more likely your joint pain is related to wear and tear.
- What medications do you take? Aromatase inhibitors — often prescribed for breast cancer — can cause joint aches and pains. Statins for lowering cholesterol can cause muscle aches that may lead to joint pain
- Do you have related conditions or a prior injury? Some conditions (for example, psoriasis) increase your risk for certain autoimmune disorders that cause systemic inflammation, such as psoriatic arthritis. Obesity increases your risk for osteoarthritis because your joints endure more wear and tear. A prior injury to the same joint causing you pain may also indicate osteoarthritis.
There are some red flags indicating that your issue may require immediate attention.
"If your joint is hot, swollen and painful to the touch or hurts with range of motion, you'll want to rule out an infection," Dr. Miller says. "An obvious deformity on the joint also warrants a visit to your provider."
Treating arthritis-related joint pain
For any type of arthritis, Dr. Miller says lifestyle modifications and physical activity are going to be beneficial.
"If your joints ache, exercise can be particularly helpful," Dr. Miller says. "Physical therapy focusing on mobility, strengthening and balance can improve your quality of life, pain and overall functioning."
To reduce acute joint pain (unrelated to an injury), Dr. Miller recommends:
- Gentle mobility of the joint to prevent increased stiffness
- Home remedies, including ice and anti-inflammatory medication
- Resting the joint
"If those steps do not provide relief after a week, or you experience several episodes of joint pain a month, see a medical professional for evaluation," Dr. Miller says. "They will assess your joint mobility and strength. They may also use imaging to look for arthritis changes to the joint or draw bloodwork to see if there are any markers for an underlying inflammatory condition."
If you are diagnosed with osteoarthritis, your provider may recommend lifestyle modifications and physical therapy to take pressure off the joint and build strength around it. Anti-inflammatory topical medications and oral medications or steroid injections can help reduce inflammation at the site of pain.
The approach to inflammatory arthritis often depends on the underlying condition, but may include chronic disease management through:
- Lifestyle modifications to maintain mobility, function and strength
- Systemic steroids
- Immune modifying drugs (often called DMARDs or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs)
"Whatever you do, don't let your joint pain keep you from being physically active," Dr. Miller says. "Moving your joints is important, and you can choose joint-friendly activities such as tai chi, yoga or water-based exercises."
