Why does ulcerative colitis cause joint pain

Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. What's the connection? Types Treatment and management Reducing arthritis risk Takeaway Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. Types of arthritis in people with UC. Treatment and management. Reducing arthritis risk. Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatology Ulcerative Colitis. More in Investigating Ulcerative Colitis Ulcerative colitis medications and other options. What to know about ulcerative colitis and pregnancy. Remedies for ulcerative colitis constipation.

Foods to eat and avoid with ulcerative colitis. Risks of leaving ulcerative colitis untreated. Related Coverage. Medically reviewed by Saurabh Sethi, M. Naik says. Your gastroenterologist can help advise you on how to treat the symptoms. Keep moving. Yoga and tai chi, which work on range of motion, may be helpful, Naik says.

He recommends wearing proper footwear and avoiding high-impact exercises. Work with a physical therapist. This is an important part of your treatment plan, Fischer says. Because arthritis can limit your range of motion, a physical therapist can give you a plan to improve your flexibility and strength while reducing any pain. Maintain a healthy diet. Symptoms include pain, stiffness and swelling in the hands, feet and legs.

This arthritis may affect many or few joints and is divided into Type 1 and Type 2 depending on how many joints are involved. Type 2 is usually independent of gut flare-ups. It is usually associated with gut activity, so if you have a flare-up of gut symptoms you may also experience a flare of joint problems. People experience joint swelling, and this is often associated with other symptoms outside the gut, particularly erythema nodosum swollen fat under the skin which causes red bumps and uveitis where the eye becomes red and inflamed and may be painful and sensitive to light.

Attacks of Type 1 peripheral arthritis usually have a limited course that lasts less than 10 weeks. As the duration of joint inflammation is short the potential for permanent joint damage is much less.

The symptoms of this type of arthritis are independent of gut activity. People experience joint swelling, and this is sometimes associated with eye problems such as uveitis. But if the inflammation in the joints is not controlled effectively it can go on to cause permanent joint damage.

Dactylitis Around 2 to 4 in people experience pain and swelling in the fingers and toes. This is called dactylitis dactyl means finger. Enthesitis This is inflammation of the enthesis — where the tendon attaches to the bone. This results in pain, stiffness and swelling that can limit movement of the joints usually in one direction of movement arthritis tends to affect all direction of movement.

Inflammation of the enthesis does not result in any permanent damage to joints. This arthritis causes pain, stiffness and swelling in the lower back and sacroiliac joints. It may be diagnosed before IBD, possibly months or years earlier, and can flare up independently of gut symptoms.

Enthesitis is a common symptom of this pattern of arthritis. Onset is gradual, often over three months. The pain gets better with exercise but does not improve or gets worse with rest.

Pain and stiffness are usually worse in the morning and at night. Many people wake up regularly during the night because of the pain. You may also have pain in the area around your buttocks. If the part of your spine attached to the ribs thoracic spine is affected this can produce a feeling of tightness in the chest and some discomfort on twisting or taking a deep breath.

These are the joints that connect the spine and pelvis see diagram above. Sacroiliitis can cause pain in your buttocks or lower back and extend down one or both legs, along the back of the thigh sometimes as far as the back of the knee. The axial type of arthritis can be progressive and cause stuctural damage to the joints. This may eventually lead to a loss of some movement due to spinal fusion. Enteropathic arthritis shares many characteristics with a group of disorders which are described by the general term of spondyloarthritis spondylo means spine.

This is the most common of any form of arthritis and is a normal part of ageing. Joints become damaged over time because of the normal age related wear and tear process. The protective cartilage on the ends of the bones breaks down causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. It may affect one joint or many. Rheumatoid arthritis. This is a different form of inflammatory arthritis.

It is an autoimmune condition caused by the immune system attacking healthy tissue in the joint. What triggers this is not yet known but the chemicals produced by this inflammation gradually cause the joint to lose its shape.

It is usually more rapidly damaging to the affected joints than enteropathic arthritis. It can destroy joints and sometimes joint replacement surgery may be needed.

Avoid lying in a curled position. Several medications may be helpful in controlling arthritis and IBD. Sulfasalazine is a very useful sulfa drug.

The other medications fall into certain groups of drugs: corticosteroids, immunosuppressives and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs. Sulfasalazine Azulfidine helps to control both the bowel disease and the symptoms of arthritis.

It is usually started at a low dose to lessen possible side effects and then increased if needed. The most common side effects are nausea and headaches. The nausea may be controlled by taking the drug with food or by using the enteric-coated form of the drug. This form is specially designed to dissolve in the bowel not in the stomach. Sulfasalazine can usually be taken safely for a long time.

Some people however develop an allergy to sulfasalazine in the form of a rash and fever. Giving the drug in frequent very small doses may enable the person to tolerate the drug without producing a rash or other reaction. When sulfasalazine cannot be taken due to side effects or allergy olsalazine Dipentum or mesalamine Asacol may be taken but these drugs have not been shown to be effective against arthritis.

Corticosteroids are similar to cortisone a hormone produced by the body. They are strong anti-inflammatory drugs which can help both the symptoms of the bowel and the joints. They are used only when the symptoms are severe because they may produce serious side effects when taken for a long time. These side effects include thinning of bones osteoporosis cataracts reduced resistance to infection diabetes obesity and high blood pressure. Be sure to discuss the possible side effects with your doctor before taking corticosteroids.

Most of the side effects decrease and eventually go away as the dosage is reduced and stopped. Once you begin taking these drugs however never stop or change the dosage on your own. Immunosuppressives such as azathioprine Imuran are used on occasion for arthritis and Crohn's disease. By suppressing the immune system they reduce inflammation. The most common side effect of these medications is a decrease in white blood cells which can cause an increased risk of infections.

Other side effects of these medications may include fever rash vomiting hair loss and liver toxicity. Immunosuppressives therefore are used with caution.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs such as ibuprofen are helpful in controlling the pain swelling and stiffness of inflamed joints. To work effectively they must be taken every day during the arthritis episode.

NSAIDs may produce nausea indigestion and heart burn. In addition they may cause bleeding from the stomach and make the underlying bowel disease worse so they are used with caution in IBD. These side effects can usually be decreased if the drug is taken with food fluid or an antacid. Surgical removal of the diseased bowel is usually a permanent cure for ulcerative colitis. This surgery also puts an end to any arthritis that may be present unless the arthritis involves the spine.

Ankylosing spondylitis may last even after removal of the diseased colon.