Other Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Joint pain and stiffness can be caused by other medical conditions besides rheumatoid arthritis, including:

Osteoarthritis (most common form of arthritis).
Crystal deposits in the joint (gout and pseudogout).
Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE).
Polymyalgia rheumatica.
Inflammation of blood vessels in the body (vasculitis).
Spondyloarthropathies (such as Reiter's syndrome[reactive arthritis], ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis).
Bacterial arthritis.
Fibromyalgia.
Lyme disease.
Viral diseases such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Torn cartilage in the joint.

Usually, a doctor will diagnose rheumatoid arthritis by evaluating your symptoms, understanding your past health, and doing certain blood tests to rule out other causes for your symptoms.

Credits

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Nancy Ann Shadick, MD, MPH - Internal Medicine, Rheumatology
Last Revised	June 5, 2012

By:

Healthwise Staff

Last Revised: June 5, 2012

Medical Review:

Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Nancy Ann Shadick, MD, MPH - Internal Medicine, Rheumatology

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