What is Arthritis?
Arthritis isn’t a single condition, it’s more than 100 conditions that involve inflammation in joints, causing pain and stiffness. Arthritis is very common and affects an estimated 300 million people around the world (Eakin et al., 2017).
Let’s look at the most common types of arthritis:
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and occurs when the smooth cartilage lining the joint breaks down.
Gout causes sharp clusters of uric acid to build up in the joints, usually affecting the big toe.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system attacks the joint tissues.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common type of arthritis in kids and teens under 16 years of age.
Psoriatic arthritis occurs in 20 percent of people with the skin condition psoriasis (Tiwari & Brent, 2024).
Ankylosing spondylitis causes inflammation in the spine’s joints and ligaments and can sometimes affect different organs in the body.
What Causes Arthritis?
What causes arthritis? The answer isn’t black and white because of the many different types of arthritis and the numerous driving factors that can lead to arthritis. Injury or excessive strain causing wear and tear on the joints is only part of it. There are several factors that can contribute to the breakdown of cartilage in the joints.
Inflammation
Chronic inflammation can damage the bones, cartilage, and tendons and is associated with not only the inflammatory types of arthritis, but other types as well.
A cross-sectional data analysis of 23,646 participants over 8 years found that higher levels of systemic immune inflammation significantly increased the risk of developing arthritis (Xia et al., 2025).
Metabolic Dysfunction
Metabolic dysfunction and chronic inflammation go hand-in-hand and the link between them is well-documented. So is the link between inflammation and arthritis. And both are major drivers of the development of arthritis, as well as the worsening of symptoms.
A third of people with rheumatoid arthritis have metabolic syndrome (Jafari et al., 2025). Metabolic syndrome is also associated with a higher risk of osteoarthritis (Zhang et al., 2024), and is more common in people with psoriatic arthritis (Williams, et al., 2024).
A 2024 meta-analysis of 369,065 participants found that metabolic syndrome and four of its components (waist circumference, low HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high triglycerides) increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, and that the risk rises with the metabolic disorders you have. It also suggested that elevated CRP may explain the link (Luo et al., 2024).
Diet and Nutrition
Diet also plays a role in arthritis. Diets high in processed foods and sugars don’t just lead to excess weight, but also chronic, low-grade inflammation. And, consuming sweetened beverages also increases uric acid in the body, leading to a higher risk of gout, which has also been shown to be associated with metabolic conditions like obesity and heart disease (Afzal et al., 2025).
Nutrient deficiencies and hormonal changes can also accelerate cartilage loss. These include vitamin D and K, calcium, and magnesium, which are all essential for bone health, and folate, B vitamins, and iron deficiencies, which have been linked to rheumatoid arthritis.
Hormones
Sex hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have also been linked to arthritis.
Women have a higher risk of several types of arthritis, and this is believed to be due to estrogen. Low estrogen increases systemic inflammation, raises the risk of autoimmune disease, and affects cartilage repair.
A 2025 cross-sectional analysis that included 4,548 participants found low testosterone levels to be associated with a higher risk of osteoarthritis outside of other risk factors, but more research to explain the association is needed (Ma, et al., 2025).
Who is at Risk?
Anyone can develop arthritis, but the risk is higher in people over the age of 50. It’s important to understand that while it’s often diagnosed later in life, arthritis is not just a normal part of getting older. There are other risk factors – many of which can be modified – that can make a person more likely to develop it.
You’re more likely to develop arthritis if you smoke, don’t get enough exercise, or have other chronic health conditions that raise inflammation and/or affect your joints, like obesity, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases.
Having a family history of arthritis increases your risk of arthritis. Having a job that’s physically demanding and places a lot of stress on your joints puts you at risk for osteoarthritis.
Biological sex also contributes to your risk because some types of arthritis affect more women than men and vice-versa. For instance, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are more common in women, and gout and ankylosing spondylitis are more common in men.
What Are the Symptoms?
The symptoms and location can vary between the different types of arthritis and the specific joints affected. In general, arthritis causes pain and stiffness in the affected joints. You may also have visible swelling around the joint and have trouble extending the joint fully. The affected joint may also be tender or painful when you touch it.
Other symptoms of arthritis, depending on the type, can include skin redness or discoloration over the joint or skin that feels warm to the touch.
The severity of your symptoms can vary, too. Some people also experience fatigue, mood swings, and trouble sleeping. If you have an underlying medical condition, you may also be dealing with symptoms from that condition at the same time (Senthelal et al., 2023).
How is Arthritis Diagnosed?
Your doctor may use one or a combination of tests to diagnose arthritis. Different types of arthritis require different tests.
Physical Exam
This is the first step in diagnosing arthritis. The doctor will examine the affected joint to check your range of motion and look for other signs of arthritis, like swelling. They’ll also ask about your symptoms.
Imaging
Your doctor may recommend imaging tests to look for damage inside your joints or the surrounding soft tissues. They can also rule out injuries that may be causing your symptoms, like bone fractures or torn ligaments.
X-ray, MRI, CT scan, and ultrasound are some imaging tests that may be used for diagnosing arthritis and determining the type and severity..
Blood Tests
While blood tests aren’t helpful in diagnosing osteoarthritis, they can be used to help diagnose other types of arthritis. For instance, checking uric acid levels in your blood can help your doctor diagnose gout. Some blood tests, like C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) can measure inflammation in your body, which can cause several types of arthritis. They may also order blood tests to check for underlying autoimmune disease.
How is Arthritis Treated with Regenerative Therapies?
Treatment depends on the type of arthritis. The most commonly used treatments focus on symptom management using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroid injections, and Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Surgery is sometimes used when treatments fail.
While current treatments can be effective at managing symptoms, they come with side effects and finding the right medication can take some trial and error.
Regenerative and integrative treatments for arthritis work by tackling the root causes of inflammation and joint damage to help reduce pain and inflammation, and support the body’s own capacity for repair.. There’s evidence that when combined with conventional treatments, they offer a more complete approach to managing arthritis.
PRP Injections
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections use platelets from your own blood to deliver growth factors into the joint to promote healing and lower inflammation. It’s the most used regenerative treatment for osteoarthritis despite some mixed results.
A 2025 meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials found that PRP provided significant improvement in function and pain compared to placebo, with higher platelets concentration providing better relief (Bensa et al., 2025).
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses soundwaves to boost circulation and lower inflammation and stimulate cartilage repair. The treatment is still considered investigational, but thanks to promising clinical trial results, it’s often used as a complementary treatment for knee osteoarthritis.
A 2019 meta-analysis of 50 trials involving 4844 patients confirmed that shockwave treatment was beneficial for knee osteoarthritis, with different energy doses and treatment lengths influencing results (Liao et al., 2019).
A 2020 meta-analysis of 14 studies involving 782 participants – and 877 knees – found that shockwave therapy improved pain and functionality in patients with knee osteoarthritis in the short-term with minimal mild side effects, though more long-term clinical studies are needed (Avendano-Coy et al., 2020).
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is a regenerative treatment that takes stem cells from your body or a donor and injects them into the joint to stimulate tissue repair and reduce inflammation.
A 2017 meta-analysis of 11 trials involving 582 patients with knee osteoarthritis found that mesenchymal stem cell transplantation resulted in significant pain and function improvement from 12 to 24 months.
While some of the research has been promising, results have been mixed. Therefore, it’s still considered an experimental arthritis treatment due to mixed results and the need for more clinical studies.
Lifestyle Modifications
The body has an amazing ability to heal with the right conditions and arthritis has several modifiable drivers that can be improved with healthy changes.
Evidence shows that lifestyle modifications including regular exercise, healthy diet, stress management, better sleep, and supplements are effective in managing arthritis and targeting disease drivers, like inflammation. (Nguyen et al., 2025).
What Are Possible Complications?
Arthritis can interfere with your ability to do the things you enjoy and make it challenging to perform everyday tasks, especially when it affects your hands or arms.
When it affects your weight-bearing joints, like your spine, hips, legs, or feet, it can impact your posture and affect your mobility.
Complications vary between the different types of arthritis. For example, progressive joint damage in osteoarthritis can lead to the need for joint replacement surgery. Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to systemic complications, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and lung disease (Wu et al., 2022).
Can Arthritis Be Prevented?
Some of the underlying conditions that cause arthritis can’t be prevented, but there are several things that you can do to lower your risk. Lowering inflammation in the body is key. You can do this by not smoking, prioritizing nutrition, losing weight if overweight, and getting better sleep and reducing stress.
Takeaway
Arthritis is complex and living with it can be challenging, but addressing what’s driving your arthritis – not just the symptoms – can lead to lasting improvements. By combining strategic lifestyle modifications and treatments, you can find real relief and improve your quality of life.
