Osteoarthritis, also known as "wear and tear" arthritis, occurs when the cartilage that cushions and protects the ends of your bones gradually wears away. This leads to pain and stiffness that worsens over time, making it difficult to do daily activities.| orthoinfo.aaos.org
Gout is a disorder that causes sudden attacks of intense pain, swelling, and redness in your joints or soft tissues. In many cases, the first attacks occur in the joints of the big toe, but gout can affect many other joints. It is one type of inflammatory arthritis.| orthoinfo.aaos.org
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that attacks multiple joints throughout the body. Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, there are a number of treatments that can help relieve joint pain and improve functioning.| orthoinfo.aaos.org