Can You Get Arthritis In Your Muscles

What Are The Different Types Of Arthritis

Arthritis is a broad term that describes more than 100 different joint conditions. The most common types of arthritis include:

• Osteoarthritis, or wear and tear arthritis, which develops when joint cartilage breaks down from repeated stress. Its the most common form of arthritis.
• Ankylosing spondylitis, or arthritis of the spine .
• Juvenile arthritis , a disorder where the immune system attacks the tissue around joints. JA typically affects children 16 or younger.
• Gout, a disease that causes hard crystals of uric acid to form in your joints.
• Psoriatic arthritis, joint inflammation that develops in people with psoriasis .
• Rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that causes the immune system to attack synovial membranes in your joints.

What Is Arthritis Pain

When your pain comes from a body joint like the knees, ankles or fingers, it is called arthritis pain. There are many types of arthritis , but the most common type is known as arthrosis. This is a degenerative disease of the joints that results in the cartilage wearing down. It normally develops as we grow older, and causes a pain that returns often.

If you suffer from arthrosis, you may find:

• that this pain appears following a period of inactivity
• a tenderness when you touch the joint
• joint stiffness
• discomfort during fluctuations in temperature.

Other types of arthritis, as with rheumatoid polyarthritis, also cause inflammation in addition to pain.

Skipping Stretching Is Bad

Regular stretching improves flexibility and eases joint pain. If you do not warm up or stretch before work outs, now is the time to start. It will strengthen muscles and tendons, lubricate joints, and boost your ability to have normal range-of-motion. Ultimately, strong muscles support joint stability, so stretching is a good way to maintain your joint health. Warm up before exercise by doing dynamic or active stretching. This involves doing movements that are similar to those used in the activity or sport that you will be doing. Active stretching boosts blood flow, increases muscle temperature, and gets muscles ready for activity.

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When Should You See A Doctor

Advanced arthritis can make mobility difficult, including the ability to perform everyday activities. Ideally, you would see your physician before your condition is in the advanced stages. Thats why its important to know about this condition, especially if youre at risk for it.

Some general recommendations for when to see your physician include:

• difficulty moving a particular joint
• joint swelling
• redness
• warmth at the affected joint

Your doctor will listen to your symptoms and evaluate your medical and family history. A doctor may order further testing, such as blood, urine, joint fluid tests, or imaging studies . These tests can help determine what type of arthritis you have.

Your doctor may also use imaging tests to identify areas of injury or joint breakdown. Imaging tests include X-rays, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging scans. This can also help rule out other conditions.

Your doctor may prescribe medication, recommend surgery, and encourage you to do physical therapy. At home you can ease arthritis pain by taking a warm shower, doing gentle stretching exercises, and using an ice pack on the sore area.

Being A Stomach Sleeper

You may snore less when you sleep on your stomach instead of on your back, but the rest of your body may suffer. People who sleep on their stomachs have to twist their heads and necks to the side. This, in turn, places stress on nerves. It also compresses your spine, leading to awkward spinal alignment. You want to sleep in a neutral position so that your head and neck are in a straight line with your spine to reduce the risk of strain on your back, neck, and muscles. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Switch to sleeping on your side or back. Look for special pillows for side sleepers and back sleepers that promote healthy spine alignment.

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Smoking And Tobacco Use

Tobacco products are not good for any part of you and that includes your joints. Nicotine decreases blood flow to bones, tissues, and discs in your spine that provide cushioning between vertebrae. Nicotine decreases calcium absorption. Tobacco use also interferes with estrogen in the body. Women need estrogen to maintain healthy bones. Smoking cigarettes inhibits the formation of new bone, so bones are not as dense as they could be if a person did not use tobacco. All of this results in joints that are weaker than they should be and includes an increased possibility of suffering from a broken hip or other joint injury. Another reason to quit smoking tobacco use depresses the function of the immune system.

Osteoarthritis In The Neck

Osteoarthritis in the neck is the degeneration of joints, vertebrae, and discs in the cervical portion of the spine. With less padding between them, vertebrae may rub against each other. That can cause tiny bone fragments to break off and float in the synovial fluid .

Sometimes this process stimulates the growth of bony projections along the edges called bone spurs, or osteophytes. Since the padding is now thinner, the vertebrae become closer to each other. That leaves less room for the spine nerves that stick out from the spinal cord.

Symptoms of neck osteoarthritis range from none to pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Osteoarthritis in the neck pain tends to worsen after activity. Complications such as loss of coordination can happen if the spinal cord becomes pinched.

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Replacing All Of A Hip

Being Overweight Or Obese

People who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop arthritis. Research has shown that for every pound that you weigh, your knees have 4 pounds of stress on them. Extra weight also burdens joints in your hips, back, and feet. Additional weight places increased strain and wear and tear on your joints. In addition to the physical stress that increased weight places on joints, fat secretes inflammatory chemicals that may also cause joint pain and increase the risk of arthritis and other chronic conditions. Some types of inflammatory molecules may promote the development of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis , two conditions that affect joints. Osteoarthritis is the so-called “wear-and-tear” type of arthritis where cartilage is damaged in the affected joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks and damages joints.

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How Will Myositis Affect Me

In most cases the pain and feelings of being unwell are eased with drugs. Even in severe cases most people with myositis eventually respond to treatment.

You may need to try more than one treatment before you find the right one for you.

Muscle strength can take longer to get back to normal. Once myositis is controlled with treatment, exercises can also help to improve muscle strength.

Although people can make a good recovery, some never regain their original muscle strength or function.

Are There Conditions That Put Me At Higher Risk For Musculoskeletal Pain

Some conditions can increase the risk of musculoskeletal pain, including:

• Arthritis: Arthritis causes chronic joint inflammation. Many people who have arthritis experience joint pain and stiffness.
• Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that causes all-over musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Usually, people with fibromyalgia experience muscle, tendon or ligament pain.
• Tunnel syndromes: Some conditions cause nerve compression or pinched nerves. A few examples of these conditions include carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome and tarsal tunnel syndrome. Often, overuse injuries lead to these conditions.

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Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect Your Muscles

Now you know that RA is systemic inflammatory disease that can affect many parts of the body. It can also affect your muscles. For example, sometimes it is associated with muscle problems such as myositis and myocarditis!

Myositis

It is a term that refers to the inflammation of the muscles. It can result from certain medications, infections, or an underlying medical condition with the immune system .

There are several types of myositis. The main ones associated with the abnormality of the immune system are polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Polymyositis

It can affect many different muscles of your body especially muscles of your hips, thigh, shoulders, neck, and upper arms. The symptom usually develops gradually.

Typically, the muscle weakness affects both sides of the body. For example, if you have it in your left shoulders muscles, you tend to also have the same problem in your right shoulder. But it is usually not followed with skin rash.

Polymyositis is quite rare, but it can occur together with RA or another autoimmune disease. Its incurable, though prompt treatment can help preserve and improve your muscle strength & function. The goal of the treatment is to make the disease go into remission.

Poorly-controlled polymyositis can turn into serious. Over time, it may cause some of the following complications:

Can Arthritis Cause Numbness

Numbness is often a symptom of nerve involvement. For instance, numbness in the arm may be related to nerve irritation in the neck. In such a situation, turning or bending the head to the involved side may increase the symptoms. For example, a pinched nerve in the right side of the neck may cause numbness in the arm and hand when a person attempts to look back over the right shoulder. If nerve irritation becomes more severe, the arm and hand may become weak. A physical examination X-rays and an MRI of the neck and electrodiagnostic tests may be useful in establishing the diagnosis.

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Altered Ryr1 Ca2 + Release And The Progression Towards Arthritis

The reduction in specific force observed in both fast-twitch and slow-twitch skeletal muscle from rodents with arthritis, was preceeded by a substantial and significant increase in Ca2 + release over the whole range of stimulation frequencies in muscle from mice with arthritis as compared with control muscle . In fact, the free intracellular Ca2 + concentration was almost twice as high in muscle fibers from CIA mice than in control fibers at the higher stimulation frequencies . Caffeine is a potent RyR1 agonist, which is widely used in muscle research as an agent which increases Ca2 + release from SR and thereby increases myoplasmic free Ca2 + concentrations . In the presence of caffeine , there was no longer a difference in the Ca2 + release between muscle fibers from control mice or mice with arthritis . This indicates that the increased Ca2 + release was caused by facilitated RyR1 Ca2 + release and was not the result of more Ca2 + stored in SR in muscles from mice with RA.

Leg Pain: Arthritis Or Peripheral Artery Disease

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If you suffer from leg pain while walking, you may blame arthritis. But if the problem is peripheral artery disease , it can have serious consequences.

When fatty deposits–called plaque–accumulate in your bodys arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. In PAD, these fatty deposits build up in the arteries that carry blood to your legs.

Untreated, PAD can lead to gangrene and even leg amputation. Its also a warning sign that arteries in the heart and brain may be blocked, increasing your chances for heart attack and stroke.

Signs of PAD

PAD starts slowly and may go unnoticed. Discomfort can occur in the affected legs, thighs, calves, hips, buttocks, or feet. In addition to pain, other common sensations are heaviness, numbness, or aching in the leg muscles. Rest usually helps. Other symptoms include:

• Pale or bluish skin
• Lack of leg hair or toenail growth
• Sores on toes, feet, or legs that heal slowly or not at all

See your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms. PAD can be diagnosed with a simple test that measures blood flow by comparing blood pressure in your arms and legs.

Arthritis Affects Joints

Because PAD is such a serious and progressive disease, its important to know the difference between arthritis pain and symptoms that indicate blocked blood flow.

If joint pain lasts beyond three days, see a health care provider. Also get medical attention for:

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Will I Need Surgery For Arthritis

Healthcare providers usually only recommend surgery for certain severe cases of arthritis. These are cases that havent improved with conservative treatments. Surgical options include:

• Fusion: Two or more bones are permanently fused together. Fusion immobilizes a joint and reduces pain caused by movement.
• Joint replacement: A damaged, arthritic joint gets replaced with an artificial joint. Joint replacement preserves joint function and movement. Examples include ankle replacement, hip replacement, knee replacement and shoulder replacement.

Why Do Joints Make Popping And Cracking Noises

Joints can make different noises–some are serious and some are not.

Some people learn how to “pop their knuckles.” By pushing or pulling a joint in a certain way an air bubble can suddenly appear in the joint with a “pop.” Once the bubble is there the joint cannot be popped again until the air has been reabsorbed.

Some joints crack as the ligaments and tendons that pass over them slide past bumps on the bones. Individuals who “crack their neck” make noise in this way.

Other joints lock up intermittently–often with a loud pop–because something gets caught in between the joint surfaces. A torn cartilage in the knee or a loose piece of bone or cartilage in the joint can do this. Once a joint is stuck in this way, it may need to be wiggled around to unlock it. This may also cause a pop.

Finally joints that are arthritic may crack and grind. These noises usually occur each time the joint is moved. This noise is due to the roughness of the joint surface due to loss of the smooth cartilage.

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When To See A Doctor

If you have jaw pain, its a good idea to see your dentist or doctor to find out the cause. The earlier you treat arthritis or TMJ issues, the better the prognosis. Catching arthritis early may help prevent damage to your jaw.

Your healthcare provider will request your medical history and physically examine your jaw. Theyll also ask about your symptoms and may order a blood test.

To help diagnose the cause of your jaw pain, your healthcare provider may order imaging tests. These may include:

• an X-ray of your jaw
• a CT scan to get a better look at your jaw bones and joint tissue
• MRI to see if there are issues with the structure of your jaw

Treatment for jaw arthritis will depend on the type of arthritis you have and its severity.

In general, the goal of treatment is to:

• prevent further jaw deterioration
• maintain your jaw function

As yet, theres no treatment to reverse the damage of jaw arthritis.

A 2017 review of studies about jaw arthritis reported that initial conservative measures resolved pain symptoms in of people with jaw arthritis. These measures included:

• jaw rest

Discover Your Own Fun

Whatever you do with your kids or grandkids, the point is to stay active. When you have arthritis, joints often hurt — so it’s tempting to stop using them. But then muscles get weak, joints have more trouble functioning, and pain may increase. So whether it’s swimming, walking, or just spending time on the playground, it’s important to keep moving.

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What Are Common Arthritis Treatments

There are many things that help reduce pain, relieve stiffness and keep you moving. Your care may involve more than one kind of treatment. Your doctor may recommend medications but there are many things you can do on your own to help manage pain and fatigue and move easier.

Finding the right treatment takes time. It can involve trial and error until you and your healthcare team or therapist find what works best. Be sure to let your doctor know if a treatment is not working. Your treatment may also change as your arthritis changes.

Treatments for arthritis can be divided into several categories: medication, exercise, heat/cold, pacing, joint protection, surgery and self-help skills. You can do things in each of these areas to help yourself feel better and move easier.

What Are The Risk Factors For Arthritis

Some factors make you more likely to develop arthritis, including:

• Age: The risk of arthritis increases as you get older.
• Lifestyle: Smoking or a lack of exercise can increase your risk of arthritis.
• Sex: Most types of arthritis are more common in women.
• Weight: Obesity puts extra strain on your joints, which can lead to arthritis.

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Can You Have Fibromyalgia And Ra

Though the conditions are unrelated, having RA may increase a persons likelihood of developing fibromyalgia.

An estimated 2030 percent of people with RA also have fibromyalgia. Researchers suggest that the chronic inflammation and pain associated with RA may make the nervous system hypersensitive over time, leading to fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is more difficult to diagnose than RA because fibromyalgia is diagnosed by exclusion. A doctor will test for many other conditions that cause widespread pain, and if none are present, they may diagnose fibromyalgia.

A doctor will usually diagnose fibromyalgia if:

• a person feels pain when the doctor applies pressure to the 1824 tender points associated with the condition
• symptoms impact all four quadrants of the body
• symptoms have lasted for at least 3 months without a break

Currently, no blood or laboratory tests are used to diagnose fibromyalgia. However, most doctors will order tests, to rule out other conditions, such as arthritis or infection.

If a doctor suspects RA, they will refer the person to a rheumatologist, who specializes in rheumatic conditions. There is no single way to diagnose RA, but the rheumatologist will likely use:

Personal and family medical history. Most people with RA have relatives with the condition, as well as chronic symptoms that impact both sides of the body, primarily the hands and feet.

Imaging tests. X-rays and MRI and ultrasound scans can help to determine if the joints have been damaged.