Stay informed and empowered on your arthritis journey.
Sign up for the Arthritis Australia newsletter today and receive the latest updates, expert insights, and practical tips delivered straight to your inbox.
Reactive arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation, pain and swelling of the joints. It usually develops after an infection, often in the bowel or genital areas. The infection causes activity in the immune system. The normal role of your body’s immune system is to fight off infections to keep you healthy. In some people this activity of the immune system causes joints to become inflamed, however the joints themselves are not actually infected. About one in 10 people with specific types of infections will get reactive arthritis.
For most people reactive arthritis disappears completely with time and causes no permanent joint problems.
Reactive arthritis usually begins a few weeks after an infection. Symptoms can affect many parts of the body and commonly include:
Only specific bacteria may result in reactive arthritis. The most common are:
It is not known why some people who get these infections develop reactive arthritis and some do not. A certain gene called HLA-B27 is associated with reactive arthritis, especially inflammation of the spine. However this is a perfectly normal gene and there are many more people who have this gene and do not get reactive arthritis.
Your doctor will diagnose reactive arthritis from your symptoms and a physical examination. Your doctor may also order blood tests for inflammation, such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) tests. Blood tests may also help to rule out other types of arthritis.
For most people reactive arthritis disappears completely with time and causes no permanent joint problems. More than four out of five people with reactive arthritis will recover completely within three to 12 months. During this time you may find that your symptoms are worse some days and better other days. Most people need some form of treatment, usually medicines, while symptoms are present. About one in five people need long-term treatment as their arthritis does not improve or returns.
Your doctor will tailor your treatment to your symptoms and the severity of your condition. There is no way of predicting exactly which treatment will work best for you. Your doctor may need to trial several different treatments before finding the one that is right for you and may include medicines, such as:
Websites:
Australian Rheumatology Association, American College of Rheumatology, Arthritis Foundation (US)
Here is our 10 steps checklist to help you live with arthritis.
Arthritis Australia advocates to government, business, industry and community leaders to improve care, management, support and quality of life for people with arthritis..
Arthritis can happen at any age. Here, you can find management and treatment information specifically created for the more than 6,000 Australian children living with...
Regular updates, news and research findings delivered to your inbox:
Already have an account? Login
Not registered? Create an account
Enter your email address and we'll send you an email with a link to reset your password.
The confirmation link is either expired or invalid.
An email has been sent to to confirm your details. Please click the link in the email to finish your account setup.
To finish your account setup, you must verify your email address.
Arthritis Australia is not responsible for the content or availability of linked sites.