Some medical conditions can cause symptoms similar to osteoarthritis.
Most common
- Injuries (such as bursitis/tendinopathy, strains, or sprains) to the tissues around the joints (such as ligaments or tendons). These may occur from overuse of the joint or from a physical injury.
- Fibromyalgia
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
- Gout or pseudogout
- Low back pain
Less common
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Spine fractures due to bone weakening/thinning (osteoporosis)
- Poor blood circulation in the legs (peripheral arterial disease)
Uncommon
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus, or SLE)
- Septic arthritis
- Lyme disease
- Blood clot in the veins
Rare
- Pain caused by cancer that has spread to the bones
- Ankylosing spondylitis
Credits
| Author | Robin Parks, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology |
| Last Updated | April 20, 2007 |
Author:Robin Parks, MS
Last Updated: 04/20/2007
