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Reviewed

March 2010

Do I Have

Arthritis?

What Is

Arthritis?

Many people

start to feel

pain and

stiffness in

their bodies

over time.

Sometimes

their hands

or knees or shoulders get sore and are hard to

move and may become swollen. These people

may have arthritis (ar-THRY-tis). Arthritis may

be caused by inflammation (in-flah-MAY-shun),

of the tissue lining the joints. Some signs of

inflammation include redness, heat, pain, and

swelling. These problems are telling you that

something is wrong.

Joints are places where two bones meet, such

as your elbow or knee. Over time, in some

types of arthritis but not in all, the joints

involved can become severely damaged.

There are different types of arthritis. In some

diseases in which arthritis occurs, other

organs, such as your eyes, your chest, or your

skin, can also be affected. Some people may

worry that arthritis means they won’t be able to

work or take care of their children and their

family. Others think that you just have to

accept things like arthritis.

It’s true that arthritis can be painful. But there

are things you can do to feel better. This

booklet tells you some facts about arthritis and

gives you some ideas about what to do, so you

can keep doing many of the things you enjoy.

What Are the Types of Arthritis?

Do I Have Arthritis?

What Can I Do?

How Will the Doctor Help?

How Should I Use Arthritis Medicine?

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Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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Any part of your body can become inflamed or

painful from arthritis.

A sports injury to a knee when a person is

young can lead to arthritis years later.

What Are the Types of Arthritis?

There are several types of arthritis. The two

most common ones are osteoarthritis (AH-steeoh-ar-THRY-tis) and rheumatoid

(ROO-mah-toyd) arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of

arthritis. This condition usually comes with age

and most often affects the fingers, knees, and

hips. Sometimes osteoarthritis follows an injury

to a joint. For example, a young person might

hurt his knee badly playing soccer. Or

someone might fall or be injured in a car

accident. Then, years after the individual’s

knee has apparently healed, he might get

arthritis in his knee joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the body’s

own defense system doesn’t work properly. It

affects joints and bones (often of the hands

and feet), and may also affect internal organs

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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Rheumatoid arthritis can make it hard to hold a

pencil or a brush.

and systems. You may feel sick or tired, and

you may have a fever.

Another common type of arthritis, gout, is

caused by crystals that build up in the joints. It

usually affects the big toe, but many other

joints may be affected.

Arthritis is seen with many other conditions.

These include:

lupus (LOOP-us), in which the body’s

defense system can harm the joints,

the heart, the skin, the kidneys, and

other organs

an infection that gets into a joint and

destroys the cushion between the

bones.

Do I

Have Arthritis?

Pain is the way your body tells you that

something is wrong. Most types of arthritis

cause pain in your joints. You might have

trouble moving around. Some kinds of arthritis

can affect different parts of your body. So,

along with pain in your joints, you may:

have a fever

lose weight

have trouble breathing

get a rash or itch.

These symptoms may also be signs of other

illnesses.

What Can I Do?

Go see a doctor. Many people use herbs or

medicines that you can buy without a

prescription for pain. You should tell your

doctor if you do. Only a doctor can tell if you

have arthritis or a related condition and what to

do about it. It’s important not to wait.

You’ll need to tell the doctor how you feel and

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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Having stiffness or pain when you move could

be a sign of arthritis.

The x rays will tell the doctor what is happening

to the bones and joints inside your body.

where

you

hurt.

The

doctor

will

examine you and may take x rays (pictures) of

your bones or joints. The x rays don’t hurt and

aren’t dangerous. You may also have to give a

little blood for tests that will help the doctor

decide what kind of arthritis you may have.

How

Will

the

Doctor Help?

After the doctor knows what kind of arthritis

you have, he or she will talk with you about the

best way to treat it. The doctor may give you a

prescription for medicine that will help with the

pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Health

insurance or public assistance may help you

pay for the medicine, doctor visits, tests, and x

rays.

How Should I Use Arthritis

Medicine?

Before you leave the doctor’s office, make sure

you ask about the best way to take the

medicine the doctor prescribes. For example,

you may need to take some medicines with

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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To get your medicine, take your prescription to

your local drugstore or send it to your

mail-order provider.

You may need to drink milk or eat when you

take your medicine.

milk,

or you

may

need

to eat

something just before or after taking them, to

make sure they don’t upset your stomach.

You should also ask how often to take the

medicine or to put cream on the spots that

bother you. Creams might make your skin and

joints feel better. Sometimes, though, they can

make your skin burn or break out in a rash. If

this happens, call the doctor.

What If I Still Hurt?

Sometimes you might still have pain after using

your medicine. Here are some things to try.

Take a warm shower.

Do some gentle stretching exercises.

Use an ice pack on the sore area.

Rest the sore joint.

If you still hurt after using your medicine

correctly and doing one or more of these

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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Using an ice pack on a sore joint can help

relieve pain.

Keeping active may help reduce the stiffness in

your joints.

things, call your doctor. Another kind of

medicine might work better for you. Some

people can also benefit from surgery, such as

joint replacement.

You

Can

Feel

Better!

Arthritis can damage your joints, internal

organs, and skin. There are things you can do

to keep the damage from getting worse. They

might also make you feel better:

Try to keep your weight down. Too

much weight can make your knees and

hips hurt.

Exercise. Moving all of your joints will

help you. The doctor or nurse can

show you how to move more easily.

Going for a walk every day will help,

too.

Take your medicines when and how

you are supposed to. They can help

reduce pain and stiffness.

Try taking a warm shower in the

morning.

See your doctor regularly.

Seek information that can help you.

For More Help

For more information on arthritis and related

conditions contact any of the following

organizations:

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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National Institute of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

(NIAMS)

Information Clearinghouse

National Institutes of Health

1 AMS Circle

Bethesda, MD 20892-0001

Phone: 301-495-4484

Toll Free: 877-22-NIAMS (877-226-4267)

TTY: 301-565-2966

Fax: 301-718-6366

Email: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov

Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov

Arthritis Foundation (AF)

P.O. Box 7669

Atlanta, GA 30357

Phone: 404-872-7100

Toll Free: 800-283-7800

Website: http://www.arthritis.org

American Academy of Orthopaedic

Surgeons (AAOS)

6300 North River Road

Rosemont, IL 60018

Phone: 847-823-7186

Fax: 847-823-8125

Website: http://www.aaos.org

American College of Rheumatology

2200 Lake Boulevard NE

Atlanta, GA 30319

Phone: 404-633-3777

Fax: 404-633-1870

Website: http://www.rheumatology.org

Acknowledgments

NIAMS thanks the following people and

organizations for their contribution to this

project:

John Klippel, M.D., Arthritis Foundation;

Graciela S. Alarcón, M.D., M.P.H., University of

Alabama at Birmingham; Virginia González,

M.P.H., Stanford Patient Education Center,

Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo

Alto, CA; Carlos Lavernia, M.D., Miami, FL; the

Arthritis Foundation; the American Academy of

Orthopaedic Surgeons; and the American

College of Rheumatology.

Special thanks go to the patients with arthritis

who reviewed this publication and provided

valuable input.

Do You Have Arthritis or a

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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Related Condition?

You may be able to help scientists

learn more about these conditions.

For information about research

projects near your home, call

National Institute of Arthritis

and Musculoskeletal and Skin

Diseases (NIAMS)

Information Clearinghouse

National Institutes of Health

1 AMS Circle

Bethesda, MD 20892-0001

Phone: 301-495-4484

Toll Free: 877-22-NIAMS

(877-226-4267)

TTY: 301-565-2966

Fax: 301-718-6366

Email: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov

Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov

You could make a difference!

The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis

and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

(NIAMS), a part of the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services’ National Institutes

of Health (NIH), is to support research into the

causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis

and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the

training of basic and clinical scientists to carry

out this research; and the dissemination of

information on research progress in these

diseases. The National Institute of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Information Clearinghouse is a public service

sponsored by NIAMS that provides health

information and information sources. Additional

information can be found on the NIAMS Web

site at www.niams.nih.gov.

For Your Information

This publication contains information about

medications used to treat the health condition

discussed here. When this publication was

developed, we included the most up-to-date

(accurate) information available. Occasionally,

new information on medication is released.

For updates and for any questions about any

medications you are taking, please contact

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Toll Free: 888–INFO–FDA

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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(888–463–6332)

Website: http://www.fda.gov

For additional information on specific

medications, visit Drugs@FDA at

www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts

/cder/drugsatfda. Drugs@FDA is a

searchable catalog of FDA-approved

drug products.

This publication is not copyrighted. Readers

are encouraged to duplicate and distribute as

many copies as needed.

Additional copies of this publication are

available from:

National Institute of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

(NIAMS)

Information Clearinghouse

National Institutes of Health

1 AMS Circle

Bethesda, MD 20892-0001

Phone: 301-495-4484

Toll Free: 877-22-NIAMS

(877-226-4267)

TTY: 301-565-2966

Fax: 301-718-6366

Email: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov

Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov

NIH Publication No. 10-4665

Many of our publications are

available in print. Would you like to

order publications on arthritis to be

mailed to you? Visit our online

order form.

Do I Have Arthritis? http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Arthritis/tengo_artritis.asp

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