What Are the Symptoms and Causes of Autoimmune Disorders Affecting Joints and Nerves?

Autoimmune disorders can have a significant impact on the body’s joints, muscles, and nerves. These disorders arise when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, leading to inflammation and various symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis, for instance, is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system attacks its own joint linings. This inflammation causes painful swelling, which, over time, can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity. Some of the common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain or aching in multiple joints, stiffness in multiple joints, tenderness and swelling in multiple joints, and similar symptoms on both sides of the body. Other manifestations can include unintended weight loss, fever, fatigue, and weakness. When comparing RA vs. Osteoarthritis, the latter is characterized by wear-and-tear damage, unlike RA.

Other autoimmune diseases include Sjögren’s syndrome, Systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus SLE), diseases of the digestive tract such as Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, and Ulcerative colitis. An uncommon yet notable autoimmune disease is Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), which presents signs and symptoms of multiple disorders, mainly lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis. Many individuals with MCTD also have Sjogren’s syndrome, leading to its occasional reference as an overlap disease.

Orthopedic autoimmune diseases encompass a range of symptoms, with the most common being fatigue, joint pain or stiffness, muscle pain or stiffness, skin rashes, and issues related to sleep or concentration. For instance, ankylosing spondylitis particularly affects the lower back or hip area.

Arthritis, in general, is characterized by the swelling and tenderness of one or multiple joints. Its primary symptoms are joint pain and stiffness, which tend to worsen with age. The most prevalent types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Various causes can lead to joint pain, including Adult Still disease, Ankylosing spondylitis, Avascular necrosis, Bone cancer, Bursitis, and more.

In diagnosing autoimmune diseases, many women find it challenging due to the lack of a single conclusive test. As Dr. Orbai comments, “It’s not black or white. There’s usually no single test to diagnose autoimmune disease.”

Understanding autoimmune diseases and their symptoms is essential for timely diagnosis and treatment.