Degenerative Arthritis and the Autoimmune Arthritis diseases are the most common types of arthritis. However, Degenerative Arthritis and Autoimmune Arthritis diseases themselves are very different in onset, disease course and treatment. Arthritis, defined, means joint inflammation.

The most common type of arthritis is Osteoarthritis (OA), known also as a Degenerative Arthritis because it is caused by degeneration due to age, wear and tear, obesity or injury. Degenerative Arthritis is typically localized to the weight-bearing joints because they are the parts of the body used most often. Therefore, this type of arthritis will typically flare with use and the pain is a result of the damage that has occurred due to the degeneration.1 out of 2 people will develop some form of Osteoarthritis in their lifetime. Onset is typically over the age of 55 if due to age but it can be much earlier if caused by injury, weight or overuse. It is typically treated with over the counter medications and ointments, along with diet and exercise changes. However, over time, the damage can get extreme and joint replacement may be necessary. This type of arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and the leading cause for disability leave for soldiers under the age of 40 in the military.

Autoimmune Arthritis diseases are systemic, inflammatory autoimmune diseases primarily affecting the joints. They are caused by a malfunctioning immune system. Because they are systemic (whole body) they also affect the connective and soft tissues and even organs, but what unites them as an Autoimmune Arthritis is the major joint involvement as a primary disease attribute. So while the most common type of arthritis is Degenerative Arthritis, or Osteoarthritis, the 9 Autoimmune Arthritis diseases make up the second most common type of arthritis. These are Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Still’s Disease (SD), Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), Juvenile Arthritis (JA), Primary Sjogren's Syndrome (SS), Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) and Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease/Spondyloarthropathy (UCTD/USpA).

Because they are diseases of the immune system, less people are affected. In the United States, the combined total of patients suffering from Autoimmune Arthritis is under 10 million. Onset is typically, for children, between ages 7-9 and for adults, between ages 20-40. The pain is a result of inflammation, often explained as feeling "sprained or broken" and can be accompanied by severe fatigue, nausea and fevers. It can occur at any time, even at rest. This inflammatory pain is present in any part of the body where the cells are malfunctioning. The most common areas of joint affect are in the hands, fingers, feet, toes, ankles, hips, lower back/tailbone area, neck, shoulders, jaw and knees. The most common areas of connective and soft tissue affect are in the mouth and esophagus area and the area between the ribcage (often called Costochondritis). The most common areas of organ involvement are the eyes, skin, lungs and heart. (NOTE: ANY joint, tissue or organ can be affected with Autoimmune Arthritis. Depending on the disease some areas are typically more affected than others but overlap is common and often is cause for misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose quickly).

The recommended treatment for Autoimmune Arthritis diseases is to target reprogramming the cells not to attack one another as well as to address the inflammation that results from these attacks. To reprogram the cells, expensive medications, such as injectable or infused biologics and mild chemotherapy treatments, are typically the recommended course of treatment. These types of medications act as agents to both slow down cell production, resulting in less cells for the body to attack, as well as to manipulate the receptors to stop sending those messages to attack. The inflammation that results from the cell interaction is also treated because the higher the inflammation the more damage can occur to the joints, tissues and organs.

Here are some additional facts about Autoimmune Arthritis that you may not typically find in literature:
 Autoimmune Arthritis is not caused by a lack of exercise.

 It does not go into remission with ointments and over-the-counter medications.

 The one anti-inflammatory recipe Great Aunt Ruth suggested won't cure it. Holistic regimes, especially for the most common moderate to severe versions of these diseases, must equate chemotherapy- or strong enough to lower inflammation and manipulate cell interaction.

 Ibuprofen isn't strong enough.

 Most patients who take the chemotherapy treatments, injections or infusions, contrary to many advertisements, are not suddenly able to run, jump or play sports after starting treatment.

 You can't just have it in your knee.

 People can die from it. Matter-in-fact, approximately 10,000 people in the US alone die each year from complications due to Autoimmune Arthritis diseases.


Clearly, Degenerative Arthritis and Autoimmune Arthritis are very different. Beyond these most common arthritis diseases there are an additional 85+ arthritis-related conditions not mentioned here. If we want to start changing the way people think about these diseases, we must start by raising awareness that they are, in fact, different. So if you get angry when people think your illness is "only arthritis" then ask yourself this: Are you calling your illness arthritis (which means joint inflammation) or are you differentiating it as one of the Autoimmune Arthritis diseases?  If you are calling it arthritis (joint inflammation) can you really blame them for thinking it's only in the joints? 

Autoimmune Disease + Arthritis = Autoimmune Arthritis