Other Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Joint pain and stiffness can be caused by health problems other than rheumatoid arthritis . These include:

• Osteoarthritis . This is the most common form of arthritis.
• Gout and pseudogout .
• Lupus .
• Polymyalgia rheumatica .
• Inflammation of blood vessels in the body ( vasculitis ).
• Spondyloarthropathies. These include 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, asking about your past health, and doing blood tests to rule out other causes for your symptoms.