Can Arthritis Cause Chest Pain?

Are Arthritis and Chest Pain Normal?

Chest pain associated with arthritis can be scary, but it is rarely an indication of something serious.

It is possible chest pain could indicate a heart problem, so it is a good idea to get it checked out, especially if it is a new symptom. Nonetheless, many different conditions cause chest pain, including some arthritis conditions.

What Causes Chest Wall Pain?

Chest pain associated with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions can mimic a heart attack or other heart problem.

Research reported in the German medical journal, Der Internist, finds as many as 50 percents of chest pains are related to musculoskeletal conditions. Musculoskeletal conditions, (i.e., arthritis or fibromyalgia) are conditions that affect your joints, bones, and muscles.

Chest pain associated with arthritis affects the muscles and bones of the chest wall (your ribcage). For that reason, it is often called chest wall pain.

In general practice settings, the prevalence of non-cardiac chest wall pain in people with musculoskeletal conditions is 47 percent, this according to one 2015 report in the Australian Family Physician journal. And up to seven percent of patients have been diagnosed with chest wall pain in the emergency room.

Most reasons for chest wall pain are harmless and limited. Occasionally, however, chest wall pain may signal a more prominent problem requiring treatment.

Read the rest at ArthritisLiving.

Arthritis and Your Skin: How Does Arthritis Affect Your Skin?

Arthritis Skin Conditions

The term “arthritis” is defined as inflammation of the joints. But joint inflammation is only one symptom and not an official diagnosis, and the term “arthritis” actually refers to any disorder of the joints.

There are many kinds of arthritis, and they don’t just affect the joints. Many of them also cause other symptoms, including skin problems.

What Types of Arthritis Affect Your Skin?

The following are the types of arthritis that may affect your skin:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune form of arthritis that mainly affects the joints. But it also affects the skin

Some skin problems are related to the disease itself others result from using strong medications designed to manage RA symptoms and slow down the disease’s progression.

Read the rest at Arthritis Living.

How Eating Better Can Help Arthritis Symptoms

One of the most common questions asked by people with arthritis is “Is there a diet for arthritis that will help my pain and symptoms?” The answer is a bit complex.

The Arthritis and Diet Connection

In the past, doctors told their patients diet changes would not help to manage arthritis symptoms.

However, newer research finds diets rich in dairy products, saturated and processed foods, and meat are contributors to arthritis inflammation and even the development of autoimmune forms of arthritis.

Many people with arthritis notice improvement in symptoms when they avoid certain foods. Research studies going as far back as the late 1970s found eliminating specific foods, including red meat, dairy, sugars, fats, and salts can drastically reduce arthritis symptoms.

An early research study going back to 1979 found dairy was a big problem for people with arthritis. And this applies to all dairy products, not just the full-fat ones.

Researchers also believe certain dietary changes do in fact help in the management of arthritis symptoms. For example, one very recent study from Michigan State University found a whole food, plant-based diet could significantly improve pain and function in osteoarthritis (OA) patients.

A whole food, plant-based diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. It excludes, or minimizes consumption of meat, including fish and chicken, dairy, eggs, refined sugars and flour and oil.

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Joint space narrowing: Treatment, causes, and more

Determining the amount of space between the bones in a person’s joints is a tool that doctors use when evaluating arthritis. When the space starts to narrow, it may be an early indication that someone has an arthritic condition.

Joint space narrowing (JSN) is also a starting point for deciding the type of treatment to give for arthritis.

When joints are healthy, they show normal spacing where the bone ends meet. The bone ends are covered by white tissue called articular cartilage, which covers the place where bones come together to form the joints.

The goal in treating arthritis is to prevent further damage to joints and any worsening of the accompanying pain and lack of mobility.

Read the rest at Medical News Today.

Arthritis mutilans: Symptoms, causes, and treatment

Arthritis mutilans is a rare form of inflammatory arthritis that causes severe inflammation. This leads to the wearing down of joints and bone tissues in the hands and feet.

This article will look at the causes of arthritis mutilans (AM), its symptoms, how it is diagnosed, and what treatment options are available.

Contents of this article:

1. Causes
2. Symptoms and diagnosis
3. Treatment

Causes

Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, particularly in the joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are two conditions that can progress to AM.

RA is a long-term, progressive autoimmune disease that causes inflammation throughout the body, especially in the joints.

Treat Your PsA with an FDA Approved Treatment Option.

Also an autoimmune disease, PsA causes joint pain, swelling, and inflammation to the skin. If not controlled, both conditions can lead to joint damage.

As a severe form of RA or PsA, AM destroys bone and cartilage of joints and causes bone resorption. Bone resorption is part of the bone modeling process involving the breakdown and absorption of old bone tissue.

In people with AM, bone tissue rebuilding does not take place. Instead, the soft tissues of the bones collapse.

Arthritis mutilans in PsA and RA

AM is uncommon, affecting about 5 percent of people with PsA and 4.4 percent of people with RA. It mainly affects the smaller joints.

Arthritis mutilans is one of the most severe forms of PsA. It is marked by clear and severe damage to the bone tissue in the joints.

One study found that people with PsA who eventually develop severe joint damage and deformity have higher disease activity when symptoms begin.

In 2003, The New England Journal of Medicine reported on a 94 year old woman who had RA since childhood. When she first sought treatment in her 60s, she presented with AM and severe joint deformity. Imaging showed severe bone resorption in her hands and wrists and collapse of the bone tissue.

This created a condition called “telescoping fingers.” Telescoping fingers occurs when the bones dissolve and soft tissues cannot hold the fingers up and they end up pulling together in a heap-like fashion.

In RA, severe AM deformities are most visible in the hands and wrists. They tend to occur when RA is not properly treated.

Read the rest at Medical News Today.