Ankylosing Spondylitis, also known as axial spondyloarthritis, is an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause some of the bones in the spine, called vertebrae, to fuse. This fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched posture. If ribs are affected, it can be difficult to breathe deeply.

Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. It’s characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one or more joints, most often in the big toe.

It occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines. Purines are also found in certain foods, including red meat and organ meats, such as liver. Purine-rich seafood includes anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout and tuna. Alcoholic beverages, especially beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose) promote higher levels of uric acid.

Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But sometimes either your body produces too much uric acid or your kidneys excrete too little uric acid. When this happens, uric acid can build up, forming sharp, needle like urate crystals in a joint or surrounding tissue that cause pain, inflammation and swelling.

Doctors usually diagnose gout based on your symptoms and the appearance of the affected joint. Tests to help diagnose gout include- Joint fluid test, Blood test, X-ray imaging, Ultrasound, Dual-energy computerized tomography (DECT).

Treatment of Gout is available in two types depending on two different problems. The first type helps reduce the inflammation and pain associated with gout attacks. The second type works to prevent gout complications by lowering the amount of uric acid in your blood. Which type of medication is right for you depends on the frequency and severity of your symptoms, along with any other health problems you may have.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is the most common type of arthritis in children under the age of 16. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis can cause persistent joint pain, swelling, stiffness and some cases high fever.

Some children may experience symptoms for only a few months, while others have symptoms for many years.Some types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis can cause serious complications, such as growth problems, joint damage and eye inflammation. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own cells and tissues. It’s not known why this happens, but both heredity and environment seem to play a role. Eye problems or growth problem can be found in children due to serious Juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Diagnosis is difficult and many test like Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, Antinuclear antibody, Rheumatoid factor, Cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) can help.

Treatment for juvenile idiopathic arthritis focuses on helping your child maintain a normal level of physical and social activity. To accomplish this, doctors may use a combination of strategies to relieve pain and swelling, maintain full movement and strength, and prevent complications.Treatment focuses on controlling pain and inflammation, improving function, and preventing damage. In very severe cases, surgery may be needed to improve joint function.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis include:

• Pain. Affected joints might hurt during or after movement.
• Stiffness. Joint stiffness might be most noticeable upon awakening or after being inactive.
• Tenderness. Your joint might feel tender when you apply light pressure to or near it.
• Loss of flexibility. You might not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion.
• Grating sensation. You might feel a grating sensation when you use the joint, and you might hear popping or crackling.
• Bone spurs. These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, can form around the affected joint.
• Swelling. This might be caused by soft tissue inflammation around the joint.

Psoriatic Arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects some people who have psoriasis — a disease that causes red patches of skin topped with silvery scales. Most people develop psoriasis years before being diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. But for some, the joint problems begin before skin patches appear or at the same time.

It can affect joints on one or both sides of your body. The signs and symptoms of it often resemble those of rheumatoid arthritis. Both diseases cause joints to become painful, swollen and warm to the touch.

Sometimes Psoriatic Arthritis Cause:

• Swollen fingers and toes. Psoriatic arthritis can cause a painful, sausage-like swelling of your fingers and toes.
• Foot pain. Psoriatic arthritis can also cause pain at the points where tendons and ligaments attach to your bones — especially at the back of your heel (Achilles tendinitis) or in the sole of your foot (plantar fasciitis).
• Lower back pain. Some people develop a condition called spondylitis as a result of psoriatic arthritis. Spondylitis mainly causes inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of your spine and in the joints between your spine and pelvis (sacroiliitis).
• Nail changes. Nails can form tiny dents (pits), crumble or separate from the nail beds.
• Eye inflammation. Uveitis can cause eye pain, redness and blurry vision. If untreated, uveitis can lead to vision loss.
• High Risk health problems like hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease can occur .

Reactive Arthritis is joint pain and swelling triggered by an infection in another part of the body — most often the intestines, genitals or urinary tract.

This condition usually targets the knees, ankles and feet. Inflammation also can affect the eyes, skin and the tube that carries urine out of the body (urethra). Previously, it was sometimes called Reiter’s syndrome.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disorder that can affect not only your joints but can damage other parts of the body as well. It is an autoimmune disease. Normally, your immune system helps protect your body from infection and disease.

In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your joints. Except joints other parts of the body like Skin, Eyes, Lungs, Heart, Kidneys, Salivary glands, Nerve tissue, Bone marrow and Blood vessels also get affected.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include Tender, warm, swollen joints, Joint stiffness mostly in the morning, weakness, fever and loss of appetite. In the beginning it affects smaller joints like fingers, hands, toes and foots. And with the time it affects other joints like wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of your body.

Rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk of developing:

• Osteoporosis. Rheumatoid arthritis itself, along with some medications used for treating rheumatoid arthritis, can increase your risk of osteoporosis — a condition that weakens your bones and makes them more prone to fracture.
• Rheumatoid nodules. These firm bumps of tissue most commonly form around pressure points, such as the elbows. However, these nodules can form anywhere in the body, including the heart and lungs.
• Dry eyes and mouth. People who have rheumatoid arthritis are much more likely to develop Sjogren’s syndrome, a disorder that decreases the amount of moisture in the eyes and mouth.
• Infections. Rheumatoid arthritis itself and many of the medications used to combat it can impair the immune system, leading to increased infections. Protect yourself with vaccinations to prevent diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, shingles and COVID-19.
• Abnormal body composition. The proportion of fat to lean mass is often higher in people who have rheumatoid arthritis, even in those who have a normal body mass index (BMI).
• Carpal tunnel syndrome. If rheumatoid arthritis affects your wrists, the inflammation can compress the nerve that serves most of your hand and fingers.
• Heart problems. Rheumatoid arthritis can increase your risk of hardened and blocked arteries, as well as inflammation of the sac that encloses your heart.
• Lung disease. People with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of inflammation and scarring of the lung tissues, which can lead to progressive shortness of breath.
• Lymphoma. Rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk of lymphoma, a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymph system.

Diagnosis:

In the early stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis  doctor will do physical exam checking joints for swelling, redness and warmth. In some cases doctor might suggest X-Ray to find out the progression of the desease. MRI or Ultrasound can be required to help your doctor judge the severity of the disease in your body.

Treatment:

The types of medications recommended by your doctor will depend on the severity and duration of your symptom.

• NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Stronger NSAIDs are available by prescription. Side effects may include stomach irritation, heart problems and kidney damage.
• Steroids. Corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone, reduce inflammation and pain and slow joint damage. Side effects may include thinning of bones, weight gain and diabetes.
• Conventional DMARDs. These drugs can slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and save the joints and other tissues from permanent damage. Side effects vary but may include liver damage and severe lung infections.
• Biologic agents. Also known as biologic response modifiers. Biologic DMARDs are usually most effective when paired with a conventional DMARD, such as methotrexate. This type of drug also increases the risk of infections.
• Targeted synthetic DMARDs. Baricitinib (Olumiant), tofacitinib (Xeljanz) and upadacitinib (Rinvoq) may be used if conventional DMARDs and biologics haven’t been effective. Higher doses of tofacitinib can increase the risk of blood clots in the lungs, serious heart-related events and cancer.

Therapy:

A Physical Therapist can teach you exercises to help keep your joints flexible. The therapist may also suggest new ways to do daily tasks that will be easier on your joints. For example, you may want to pick up an object using your forearms.

Assistive devices can make it easier to avoid stressing your painful joints. For instance, a kitchen knife equipped with a hand grip helps protect your finger and wrist joints. Certain tools, such as buttonhooks, can make it easier to get dressed.

Surgery:

If medications fail to prevent or slow joint damage, your doctor may consider surgery to repair damaged joints. Surgery may help restore your ability to use your joint. It can also reduce pain and improve function.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Surgery may involve one or more of the following procedures:

• Synovectomy. Surgery to remove the inflamed lining of the joint (synovium) can help reduce pain and improve the joint’s flexibility.
• Tendon repair. Inflammation and joint damage may cause tendons around your joint to loosen or rupture. Your surgeon may be able to repair the tendons around your joint.
• Joint fusion. Surgically fusing a joint may be recommended to stabilize or realign a joint and for pain relief when a joint replacement isn’t an option.
• Total joint replacement. During joint replacement surgery, your surgeon removes the damaged parts of your joint and inserts a prosthesis made of metal and plastic.

Surgery carries a risk of bleeding, infection and pain. You should discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor.

Septic Arthritis is a painful infection in a joint that can come from germs that travel through your bloodstream from another part of your body. It can also occur when a penetrating injury, such as an animal bite or trauma, delivers germs directly into the joint.

Infants and older adults are most likely to develop septic arthritis. People who have artificial joints are also at risk of septic arthritis. Knees are most commonly affected, but septic arthritis also can affect hips, shoulders and other joints. The infection can quickly and severely damage the cartilage and bone within the joint, so prompt treatment is crucial.

Septic arthritis typically causes extreme discomfort and difficulty using the affected joint. The joint could be swollen, red and warm, and you might have a fever. Septic arthritis can be caused by bacterial, viral or fungal infections. Septic arthritis can develop when an infection, such as a skin infection or urinary tract infection, spreads through your bloodstream to a joint. Less commonly, a puncture wound, drug injection, or surgery in or near a joint — including joint replacement surgery — can give the germs entry into the joint space.

It generally occurs with age. Previous trauma or injury to the thumb joint also can cause thumb arthritis. In a normal thumb joint, cartilage covers the ends of the bones — acting as a cushion and allowing the bones to glide smoothly against each other. With thumb arthritis, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones deteriorates, and its smooth surface roughens. The bones then rub against each other, resulting in friction and joint damage.

The damage to the joint might result in growth of new bone along the sides of the existing bone (bone spurs), which can produce noticeable lumps on your thumb joint. Thumb arthritis can cause severe pain, swelling, and decreased strength and range of motion, making it difficult to do simple tasks, such as turning doorknobs and opening jars.

Physical examination by the Doctor and if require X-Rays being done for the diagnosis of Thumb arthritis.

Treatment

In the early stages of thumb arthritis, treatment usually involves a combination of non-surgical therapies like taking Pain Reliever Tablets and Pain Reliever Lotions to apply on the affected areas. Pain Reliever Injections can also be taken for quicker relief.

Using splint can support your joint and limit the movement of your thumb and wrist. You might wear a splint just at night or throughout the day and night.

If the patient is not  getting relief from above treatments or if you’re barely able to bend and twist your thumb, your doctor might recommend surgery.

Surgery include procedures:

• Joint fusion (arthrodesis). The bones in the affected joint are permanently fused. The fused joint can bear weight without pain, but has no flexibility.
• Osteotomy. The bones in the affected joint are repositioned to help correct deformities.
• Trapeziectomy. One of the bones in your thumb joint (trapezium) is removed.
• Joint replacement (arthroplasty). All or part of the affected joint is removed and replaced with a graft from one of your tendons.

After surgery, you can expect to wear a cast or splint over your thumb and wrist for up to six weeks. Once the cast is removed, you might have physical therapy to help you regain hand strength and movement.