What is undifferentiated arthritis

If you ask me what undifferentiated arthritis is, I think it is difficult for me to express it, because there is no unified understanding of undifferentiated arthritis so far. It is very similar to peripheral arthritis, but it does not conform to other arthritis. What are the specific manifestations? Let's take a look at it together and understand what undifferentiated arthritis is.

Undifferentiated arthritis (UA) was once called "undefined arthritis", "seronegative oligoarthritis", "undifferentiated seronegative polyarthritis", "HLA-B27-associated arthritis" and so on. "Early arthritis," "early rheumatoid arthritis (RA)," or "UA" is a term used to describe patients who may develop RA, and is also used to describe those who have been diagnosed with the early stages of RA. There is no universally accepted definition, diagnosis and treatment model to date.

So far, there is no unified understanding of UA. Most people believe that patients with peripheral arthritis who do not meet any other arthritis classification criteria can be considered to have undifferentiated arthritis, but it should be ruled out whether it is an early manifestation of certain connective tissue diseases.

Most UA patients present with an insidious onset of disease, with swelling, pain, and stiffness in the metacarpophalangeal joints, wrist joints, and other limb joints. Some patients may have predisposing factors such as infection. Symptoms may include only joint swelling and pain, or they may be accompanied by extra-articular manifestations such as general discomfort and fatigue. The disease may occur in a single joint or in multiple joints simultaneously, mostly in small joints of the limbs but also in large joints such as the knees and elbows. The course of the disease varies from several weeks to several years, and can progress to RA, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), osteoarthritis, reactive arthritis, etc. Some patients still do not meet the ACR classification criteria for RA after decades of follow-up, and some patients experience natural remission or no change in symptoms for many years.

Heat therapy, hydrotherapy, infrared, ultrashort wave, electrical stimulation, etc. can enhance local blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, and alleviate pain and other symptoms. Traction therapy is more effective for patients with cervical spondylosis radiculopathy. It can relax muscles, relieve pain, and prevent adhesions between tissues adjacent to the nerve roots. However, it must be performed under the guidance of a specialist.

Maybe before reading this article, you didn’t know what undifferentiated arthritis was, but after reading this article, you may have some understanding of undifferentiated arthritis. If you are not sure whether you have undifferentiated arthritis, you can go to a regular hospital for examination.