Osteoarthritis or Psoriatic Arthritis: What's Your Diagnosis?

Do you know the difference between osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis? Before I was diagnosed, I didn't. I also had no idea there are so many different types.

4 of the most well-known are: osteo, rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis, and gout. Over my 27-year journey, I’ve discovered that many types of arthritis often overlap with one another.

What is arthritis?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, arthritis is a general term for conditions that affect the joints or tissues around the joint. There are more than 100 types of arthritis. I don't know about you but that seems like such a huge number.¹

I had to dig deeper. I did learn was that 53.2 million people have a form of arthritis! This means 1 in 5 people have arthritis. This number amazes me.¹

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Hands, knees, and hips are most often affected. Pain and stiffness are major parts of the disease. Swelling is a factor as well.

Damage over time can cause the bones of the joints to begin eroding. Over time, osteoarthritis can cause problems with daily details like working, dressing, and bathing. Intense pain and joint damage can cause disability. ¹

Rheumatoid

The CDC defines rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, as an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. ²

When I was originally diagnosed on my journey, I had an arthritis blood count 4x what the normal was. Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid were heavily present for me. In fact, to this day, I still have some of the factors.

I get swelling, fever, stiffness, soreness, weakness and fatigue. Most evenings or on very rainy or snowy days I run a mild fever.

Psoriatic

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation, pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. It often occurs alongside psoriasis, an autoimmune disease where skin cells reproduce up to four times faster than normal. This joint inflammation can affect multiple areas, leading to discomfort and reduced mobility.³

Gout

Gout is characterized as severe arthritis in one joint at a time, most commonly in the big toe. Gout happens very suddenly. Hyperuricemia, or when there's too much uric acid in the body, can cause gout. When this happens, uric acid crystals form in your body, causing swelling and pain.⁴

My rheumatologist was the one who diagnosed my gout. My uric acid is often high. Having high acid can cause kidney and bladder issues as well.

Getting diagnosed and caring for your joints

Having bloodwork completed and seeing a rheumatologist is the best way to have arthritis diagnosed. Depending on your results, a physical exam, and x-rays, the rheumatologist can help you determine which forms of arthritis you may have.

My rheumatologist has diagnosed me with osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout. I manage my conditions by taking my medications and treating my joints with care.