Arthritis: Types, Symptoms and Support

These short descriptions are for general understanding only. They cannot tell you which type, if any, you have — only a healthcare professional can assess that.

• Osteoarthritis — the most common type in the UK. It involves changes to the whole joint, often causing activity-related pain and reduced movement, commonly in knees, hips, hands and the spine.
• Rheumatoid arthritis — an autoimmune inflammatory condition. The immune system affects the lining of joints, often on both sides of the body, with prolonged morning stiffness, swelling and fatigue.
• Psoriatic arthritis — inflammatory arthritis linked with the skin condition psoriasis. It can affect joints, the spine, tendons and nails. Joint symptoms sometimes appear before any skin changes.
• Ankylosing spondylitis, also called axial spondyloarthritis — inflammation affecting the spine and pelvis, typically causing back pain and stiffness that is often worse with rest and may improve with movement.
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis — inflammatory arthritis beginning in childhood. Children are usually cared for by specialist paediatric rheumatology services.
• Reactive arthritis — joint inflammation that follows an infection elsewhere in the body, such as a bowel or genital-tract infection. It often settles over time.
• Arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease — joint or spinal inflammation that can occur alongside Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
• Gout and other crystal arthritis — sudden, severe attacks caused by crystals forming in or around a joint, such as urate crystals in gout or calcium crystals in calcium pyrophosphate arthritis.
• Septic arthritis — urgent. An infection inside a joint. This is a medical emergency and needs immediate assessment and treatment, not home care.

• joint pain, tenderness or aching
• stiffness, especially after resting or sitting still
• swelling, puffiness or warmth around a joint
• reduced movement, weakness or difficulty gripping
• morning stiffness — some inflammatory types cause stiffness lasting a long time after waking
• symptoms in one joint only, or in several joints at once
• fatigue and feeling generally unwell with some inflammatory forms
• flares — periods when symptoms become worse, then settle again

Symptoms often change over time. Keeping a simple note of which joints are affected, how long stiffness lasts and what makes symptoms better or worse can help a clinician.

Warmth, swelling and redness can be harder to see on brown or black skin. Any change from a person's usual appearance, along with heat, swelling and tenderness, is important whatever their skin tone.

Please contact a GP if there is:

• joint pain, swelling or stiffness that keeps coming back or does not settle
• morning stiffness that lasts a significant time after waking
• swelling in more than one joint
• joint symptoms alongside a rash, psoriasis, eye inflammation or bowel symptoms
• persistent back pain and stiffness in a younger adult
• symptoms affecting daily activities, sleep, walking, caring responsibilities or work
• joint pain in a child
• unexplained fatigue, weight loss or feeling generally unwell with joint symptoms

Why early assessment matters: when inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis is suspected, prompt referral and treatment can help control inflammation and reduce longer-term joint damage. It is better to be assessed and reassured than to wait.

Assessment usually includes some of the following:

• a full medical history, including symptoms, family history and other conditions
• examination of the joints, movement and where it hurts
• blood tests, which may look at inflammation and other markers
• X-rays, ultrasound or MRI scans where these are useful
• testing a sample of fluid taken from a joint in some cases
• referral to rheumatology, orthopaedics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry or another service

No single test proves or rules out arthritis on its own. Test results only make sense alongside symptoms and examination, so please do not try to interpret them without a clinician.

Treatment depends on the type of arthritis and on the person's other health conditions and medicines. What helps one person may be unsuitable for another.

• medicines prescribed or recommended by a qualified professional
• physiotherapy, occupational therapy and suitable exercise programmes
• maintaining movement and muscle strength around affected joints
• heat or cold where a professional has confirmed it is suitable
• pacing activities, resting during flares and protecting joints
• walking aids, splints, supportive footwear and home adaptations
• joint injections in some situations
• surgery, including joint replacement, where other treatment has not helped enough

This page does not give medication names, doses or instructions, and cannot promise a cure. Some types of arthritis settle, some are controlled well with treatment, and some are long-term conditions managed over many years.

Never stop or change prescribed medicine without speaking to the prescriber or a pharmacist.

Suitable movement can help flexibility, strength, balance and confidence, and may help with pain and mood for many people.

• gentle, regular activity is usually better than occasional intense effort
• strengthening the muscles around a joint can support it
• walking, swimming, water-based exercise, cycling and chair-based exercise suit many people
• warming up, pacing and building up slowly help
• activity can often be adapted during a flare rather than stopped completely

Please ask a GP, physiotherapist or other qualified professional for guidance when pain is severe, symptoms are new or changing, a joint is hot and swollen, or you are unsure what exercise is safe for you. Exercise should be within comfortable limits — stop and seek advice if something causes sharp or worsening pain.

• Everyday tasks — washing, dressing, cooking, shopping and housework may take longer. Kitchen aids, jar openers, long-handled tools, perching stools and grab rails can help.
• Mobility and falls — walking aids, good footwear, clearing trip hazards and good lighting reduce the risk of falls.
• Sleep and fatigue — pain can disturb sleep, and fatigue is common with inflammatory arthritis. Mention both to a clinician; they can be treated as real symptoms.
• Emotional wellbeing — living with pain can affect mood, confidence and relationships. Support is available and asking for it is reasonable.
• Work — reasonable adjustments may include altered hours, seating, equipment, different duties or homeworking.
• Driving and travel — some conditions and medicines must be reported to DVLA or DVA. Ask a clinician if you are unsure, and plan breaks on longer journeys.
• Practical help — family, friends, carers, occupational therapy and social care can all help. Asking early usually makes life easier.

It can help to write down, before the appointment:

• when the symptoms began, and whether they started suddenly or gradually
• which joints are affected, and whether both sides are involved
• how long morning stiffness lasts
• any swelling, heat or redness, and when it happens
• photographs of visible swelling, where that feels appropriate and helpful
• the effect on sleep, walking, work, caring and everyday tasks
• medicines, creams or supplements already tried, and whether they helped
• other conditions, such as psoriasis, bowel problems or eye inflammation
• family history of arthritis, psoriasis or autoimmune conditions

Questions you might ask a GP or specialist:

• What type of arthritis do you think this could be, and what else could explain my symptoms?
• Which tests do I need, and when will I get the results?
• Do I need a referral to rheumatology, physiotherapy or another service?
• What are my treatment options, and what are the benefits and risks?
• What exercise is safe for me right now?
• What should I do during a flare, and when should I seek urgent help?
• Who do I contact if things get worse before my next appointment?

These are official or well-established UK sources. Details can change, so please check each organisation's own website for the latest information.