Symptoms Arthritis refers to the more than 100 kinds of diseases that cause pain and swelling, and limit movement in joints and connective tissue.
Arthritis is the number one cause of severe pain and disability that limits physical activity.
Forty million people have arthritis in the United States alone. Three million of these people are severely affected. It is usually chronic and lasts a lifetime. The specific causes are not known for most types of arthritis, but much is known about the symptoms and how to treat them. Physicians diagnose the specific type of arthritis based upon the pattern of symptoms, medical history, physical exam, x-rays, and lab tests.