Polyarthritis

Polyarthritis is the medical term for having arthritis in five or more of your joints at the same time. Arthritis is inflammation in your joints, which causes swelling and pain. Poly- means “many.”

There are many types of arthritis with different types of causes. But polyarthritis isn’t a type of arthritis. It’s a diagnosis that means the type of arthritis you have is affecting you in many places at once. This might mean that your arthritis is more severe than average.

Some other terms for polyarthritis include:

• Polyarticular arthritis
• Polyarthralgia
• Polyarthropathy

Symptoms of polyarthritis in your joints

By definition, polyarthritis symptoms occur in five or more joints throughout your body. That’s any place where two bones connect. The most common symptoms include:

• Joint pain, swelling or stiffness
• Redness or discoloration around your joints
• Tenderness in your joints
• A feeling of heat or warmth around your joints
• Limited range of motion in your joints
• Difficulty putting weight on a joint
• Deformity (when a joint looks out of place)

If you have symptoms in the same joints on both sides of your body — both of your knees, for example — your healthcare provider might call it “symmetrical polyarthritis.” If your symptoms occur on one side, or in random joints that don’t match from side to side, they might call it “asymmetrical polyarthritis.”

Causes of polyarthritis

Polyarthritis means you have arthritis in five or more joints at the same time. It’s not a specific disease on its own. Many different types of conditions can cause it.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an example of a specific type of arthritis that can lead to polyarticular arthritis. But polyarthritis doesn’t always start with joint disease. It can also be a symptom or side effect of other conditions, like infections and autoimmune diseases.

The most common causes include:

Chronic arthritis

Many chronic types of arthritis can spread to multiple joints over time. Most of these are inflammatory diseases. It’s less common for degenerative arthritis to affect multiple joints. But it can happen in people who’ve put a lot of stress on their joints over their lifetimes.

Common types of arthritis that lead to polyarthropathy include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Spondyloarthritis
• Gout
• Pseudogout
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Osteoarthritis

Autoimmune disease

An autoimmune disease is the result of your immune system attacking parts of your body. These attacks can trigger chronic inflammation in certain types of body tissues, including your joints. Some autoimmune diseases that may cause polyarthritis include:

• Lupus
• Sarcoidosis
• Scleroderma
• Vasculitis

Infections

Some viral infections or bacterial infections can trigger polyarthritis (viral arthritis or reactive arthritis). Your body’s response to the virus or bacteria may be too strong or may catch your joints in the crossfire. Some infections that can trigger polyarthropathy include:

• Viral hepatitis
• Lyme disease
• Mononucleosis (mono)
• Parvovirus
• Whipple’s disease
• HIV

Polyarthritis risk factors

You’re more likely to develop polyarthritis if you’re at a higher risk for developing arthritis in the first place. Arthritis can affect anyone, but some people are more likely to develop it, including those who:

• Are athletes
• Are female
• Are older than 50
• Have other autoimmune diseases
• Have obesity

How is polyarthritis diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will diagnose polyarthritis with a physical exam and tests. They’ll ask you about your symptoms and gently examine your painful joints. They’ll take note of which ones polyarthritis affects, since this can give them important clues to determining the type of condition you have.

You might need some imaging tests, such as:

• X-rays
• Ultrasound
• MRI

Other tests might include:

• Joint aspiration: Your provider inserts a small needle into a joint to draw out fluid for testing.
• Blood tests: Once your provider suspects a particular condition, blood tests can help confirm it.

Your provider will also check you for other conditions that might cause symptoms resembling polyarthropathy. This is called a differential diagnosis. Sometimes, conditions affecting other tissues near your joints can seem to irritate or cause referred pain in your joints.

Some of these conditions include:

• Fibromyalgia
• Osteomalacia
• Thyroid disease
• Connective tissue diseases
• Cancer

How is polyarthritis treated?

To treat polyarthritis properly, your provider will need to determine the root cause. In many cases, you can treat it with over-the-counter pain relievers while waiting for these results. Your provider can advise you on which medications to try.

Once you have your final diagnosis, your provider will treat your polyarthropathy by treating your underlying condition. This treatment might include:

• Medications: You might need antibiotics or antivirals to treat an infection, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to treat an inflammatory or autoimmune disease.
• Therapeutic injections: Injections directly into your joint can help relieve joint pain. Types of joint injections include cortisone shots (steroids), platelet-rich plasma injections and gel shots.
• Physical therapy: A physical therapist can give you customized exercises to increase your range of motion in your joints and strengthen the muscles that support them.
• Arthroplasty: If your joints are badly damaged, you might need joint replacement surgery. Your provider or surgeon will tell you what to expect and how long it will take to recover.

When should I see my healthcare provider about polyarthritis?

Visit your provider as soon as you notice symptoms in your joints. Polyarticular arthritis is a symptom of many different conditions, some of which can do serious damage in a short amount of time. If you’ve seen your provider but developed new symptoms, let them know right away.

Go to the emergency room if you’re experiencing severe pain or if you suddenly can’t move a joint or a part of your body.

What questions should I ask my doctor about polyarthritis?

If you have symptoms of polyarticular arthritis, you might want to ask:

• What type of arthritis do I have?
• Is it a short-term or long-term condition?
• What’s causing my joint pain?
• What treatments do you recommend?
• What is my long-term prognosis (outlook)?

What can I expect if I have this condition?

Some people only have polyarthropathy for a short time, while recovering from an infection. But if your symptoms last a long time or keep coming back (recurring), you have what’s known as chronic polyarthritis.

Most of the causes of chronic arthritis are lifelong conditions. The symptoms can improve with treatment, but you’ll need to continue to manage the condition for the rest of your life. If the arthritis continues to damage your joints, you might need surgery to treat it.

How can I reduce my risk of developing polyarthritis?

You can lower your chances of developing arthritis by:

• Avoiding tobacco products
• Doing low-impact, non-weight-bearing exercise
• Following an eating and physical activity plan that’s healthy for you
• Wearing the proper safety equipment during physical activity to reduce your risk of injury

What is the difference between polyarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?

Polyarthritis means you have arthritis in five or more joints at the same time. It’s not a specific disease on its own. It’s a diagnosis that means you’re experiencing arthritis in many joints at once.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a specific type of arthritis. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks the tissue lining the joints on both sides of your body. It can affect any number of joints, and it’s possible for rheumatoid arthritis to affect enough of your joints to be classified as polyarthritis.

What is seronegative polyarthritis?

Seronegative arthritis is a form of rheumatoid arthritis. It’s possible for it to affect five or more of your joints and become polyarthritis. Talk to your provider or rheumatologist if you have questions or if you’ve been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and notice new or changing symptoms.