How Does Arthritis Pain Feel

What Are The Symptoms Of Spinal Arthritis

Symptoms of spinal arthritis may differ from person to person. In general, they may include:

• Back and neck pain, especially in the lower back

• Stiffness and loss of flexibility in the spine, such as being unable to straighten your back or turn your neck

• Swelling and tenderness over the affected vertebrae

• Feeling of grinding when moving the spine

• Pain, swelling and stiffness in other areas of the body

• Whole-body weakness and fatigue

• Pain and numbness in your arms or legs if the nerves are affected

Although back pain is a common symptom, not all people have it, even those with advanced spinal arthritis. On the other hand, some may experience pain even before arthritis can be seen on an X-ray.

In certain types of spondyloarthritis, eye inflammation may occur, causing pain, watery eyes and blurred vision.

When To See A Doctor About Joint Pain

While there is no cure for arthritis, its always advisable to see a doctor if you start to experience painful joints. Often, reviewing your medical history for a joint injury, and checking flexibility and signs of swelling will help diagnose osteoarthritis. They may run some blood tests to check for inflammation in the body and rule out other possible causes too.

If your GP suspects Rheumatoid arthritis, theyll usually refer you to a rheumatologist for treatment.

A fast arthritis diagnosis particularly in cases of rheumatoid arthritis, will allow you to start a treatment that slows down the progression of the condition, rather than simply relieving symptoms.

You may decide to try some alternative therapies whether your joint pain is arthritis or not. alternative therapies such as yoga, tai chi have been shown to help with pain and can relieve tension and anxiety.

Another popular therapy is Magnetic pulse therapy, which targets pain with a weak electromagnetic pulse. while the effects of this treatment are largely unproven, some do find it helps reduce discomfort, and many small devices are available to buy online.

Describing Painful Symptoms To Your Doctor

To determine whether your pain is due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or another type of arthritis, your doctor will ask you many questions about your pain, how it affects your life and body, when it occurs, and how bad it gets. Your doctor may ask you to rate your pain on a scale from 1 to 10 .

Before you speak with your doctor, think about the words you want to use to describe your joint pain. Here are some terms that will help your doctor get the full picture. Choose the ones that best describe how your arthritis pain feels:

• Grinding or grating

People with arthritis should keep their doctors informed of their symptoms, and Dr. Ruthberg suggests that family members can often be helpful in keeping up with information, such as when and how symptoms began.

RELATED: 10 Hot and Cold Therapy Tips to Tame Joint Pain

Don’t Miss: Is Bike Riding Good For Knee Arthritis

What Arthritis Feels Like

The form of arthritis that most people are familiar with is osteoarthritis. Everyday Health says that osteoarthritis includes pain that:

• isnt noticeable in the morning but gets worse throughout the day
• affects your posture and gait and may cause limping
• aches deep into the joint

That is nowhere near the extensive list of what osteoarthritis feels like. Their full list is here.

Arthritis glossary: frequently-used words |What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?

I also want to talk about other patients experience with rheumatoid arthritis is. Leslie says it feels like like tiny gnomes chiseling away at my knees, elbows, shoulders, etc.. I love that description! Unfortunately, chiseling is an accurate word for anyone with cartilage damage and/or bone erosion.

Follow Leslie on , , and her blog.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, and overtime it fuses the spine . Areas affected by AS include the joint between the spine and pelvis, low-back vertebrae, places where your tendons and ligaments attach to bones, mainly in your spine, and more .

Sebastien is someone with ankylosing spondylitis, and he says, The pain is variable depending on the area affected. For example in my shoulders it is a dull pain, in my spine it is radiating, in my foot it is piercing. I guess it also depends whether the pain is in the join or ligament.

Tips To Make Independently Living with a Chronic Illness Easier

The Symptoms Of Osteoarthritis

What does arthritis feel like? The key symptom of osteoarthritis is joint pain. Initially, the pain may be mild and not very noticeable. However, as the disease progresses and the cartilage wears away, the joint pain can worsen. The pain of osteoarthritis is best described as follows:

• Pain that worsens with physical activity and gets better with rest.
• The pain is deep down in the joint.
• The pain may vary from an odd ache to a constant gnawing pain.
• The pain is usually not felt first thing in the morning, but it will come on with any type of activity during the day.
• The pain can be severe and may affect your ability to walk. Limping is not an uncommon feature of osteoarthritic pain.
• The pain can be severe and may affect your posture.
• Anytime you use the joint, the pain will come on.
• The pain from the hip joint may radiate into the buttocks, groin, or thigh areas.
• After physical activity, the joint may appear swollen.
• First thing in the morning, your joint may feel stiff and be difficult to move. This joint stiffness usually improves as the day progresses.
• You may feel a sensation of bones rubbing against each other in the joint.
• Certain activities, such as using stairs, may quickly provoke pain in the joint.
• The pain may be constant and so severe that you will not be able to do any household chores or even exercise.

You May Like: Can You Get Rheumatoid Arthritis In Your Eyes

Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Of The Knee

Knee rheumatoid arthritis symptoms include:

• Knee discomfort, pain or tenderness that worsens when exercising, standing or walking
• Reduced range of movement
• Stiffness that is worse in the mornings and during cold weather your knee joint may also become locked ie when you cant fully bend or straighten your knee joint
• Warmth in and around your knee
• Weakness in your knees when you bear weight on them

In addition to symptoms that specifically affect your knee, you may also notice other symptoms including:

• Warmth in and around your knee
• Weakness in your knees ie feeling that your knees will buckle

Psoriatic Arthritis Of The Hip

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that can develop in people with psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition that can also cause inflammation in the joints, including the hip. Over time, untreated inflammation can lead to joint damage. Psoriatic arthritis of the hip is a chronic condition. It can develop before or after the telltale skin symptoms of psoriasis develop.

Read Also: Can You Get Arthritis In Your Muscles

Treatments For Chronic Arthritis Of The Spine

Common treatments include limiting mobility with the use of a cervical collar or brace. Commonly used drugs are non-steroidal anti inflammatories, Acetaminophen, and morphine. Non drug treatments include, hot and icepacks, electrical stimulation, therapy exercises and ultrasound. However, most of these traditional therapies fail as they only focus on and treat the symptoms of the condition, and not the underlying cause of the condition.

Combining the below therapy treatments to suit you as an individual is suggested, since no two people are alike.

Inversion Therapy can help as it will decompress the spine, removing stress from the joints of the spine. Muscle Balance Therapy will focus on restoring balance in the body, especially the pelvis and the spine which will minimize wear and tear on the spinal discs and joints.

To get a complete list of treatments for Chronic Arthritis of the Spine, you can go to: /conditions/arthritis-of-the-spine/.

Dont Miss: Is Peanut Butter Good For Arthritis

How To Help Arthritis In Knees: The Basics

Your knees are the largest, strongest joint in the body. Knowing a bit about the anatomy can help to appreciate not only their strength but also their unique vulnerabilities.

Knee joints consist of three bones. The femur connects to the tibia and the patella . Cartilage wraps around the end of each bone to protect and smooth movement where the three bones meet.

Two wedges of cartilage called the meniscus act as shock absorbers as the femur presses down into the tibia. Synovial fluid lubricates all of the cartilage in the joint and helps with smooth movement.

In addition, stabilizing ligaments and tendons include:

• Lateral and medial collateral ligaments: Stabilize side-to-side movement
• Posterior and anterior cruciate ligament: Frames movement forward and backwards

Knees absorb the impact of your upper body coming down on the lower leg: every day, all day. This means that everything you dowalking, running, hiking up a mountain, or simply standing up from a seatrelies on healthy knees.

When our knees are not healthy, the resulting knee pain can make it challenging to go about our normal daily activities or even get to sleep at night.

Also Check: How Do You Know If You Have Arthritis In Hands

What To Expect From Your Doctor

First, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history and perform a physical exam. During your physical exam, your doctor will examine your wrist for swelling, pain, and tenderness. The location of the swelling can tell your doctor which wrist joints are most affected. Problems in the wrist can affect peripheral tendons, causing tendonitis.

Next, your doctor will examine the range of motion of the wrist itself. This can show how mild or severe the arthritis is, or if you have carpal tunnel syndrome. Your doctor will ask you to twist and flex both wrists in every direction. Finally, theyll manipulate your wrist and thumb joints and ask if you feel pain.

Progression Of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Over months or years, pain may spread up the spine and into the neck. As the disease progresses, the bodys defense mechanisms fight back by producing new bone . The new bone grows between and around the vertebrae, causing abnormal fusion and increases the risk for spinal fracture.

Sometimes ankylosing spondylitis leads to a spinal deformity such as a humpback or swayback . Advanced symptoms can be chronic and include severe pain and stiffness of the spine and possibly other body joints. Bowel and eye inflammation may be associated with ankylosing spondylitis.

You May Like: Is Colchicine Good For Rheumatoid Arthritis

Also Check: What Doctor Do I See For Arthritis

What Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain And Discomfort Feels Like

Rheumatoid arthritis can be like the old box of chocolates adage you never know what youre going to get, according to the blogger Katie Singh, 38, of Austin, Texas. Singh was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she 23 years old. Sometimes it feels like burning, other times it feels like throbbing throbbing so bad that you can’t think about anything else, Singh explains. There are times I’ve almost considered wanting to cut off a foot or a hand, the pain is so excruciating.

RELATED: Celebrities With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis In The Toes

Ocskaymark / Getty Images

Arthritis in the toes is often the result of wear and tear of the cartilage in the toe joints or inflammation of the toe joints. The big toe is most often affected by arthritis, but other toes can also be involved.

Common symptoms of arthritis of the toes may include pain that can take hours or days to resolve and swelling and inflammation in and around the toe joints. Both RA and PsA can cause significant pain and swelling. However, with PsA, the toes become so swollen that they can resemble sausages .

Additional symptoms of arthritis in the toes might include:

• Restricted range of motion due to swelling or cartilage damage
• Development of bone spurs, which can further restrict movement
• Difficulty and pain with bending the toes
• A toe that might bend permanently downward
• Pain that worsens with weight-bearing activityrunning, walking, climbing stairs, etc.
• A bump formation or sore
• Pitted, separated, thickened toenails
• Curling of toeshammertoe or claw toe

Recommended Reading: How To Tell If You Have Arthritis In Hands

What Osteoarthritis Pain Feels Like

Pain is pain, right? It just plain hurts. But for your doctor to figure out whether your joint pain stems from osteoarthritis, which develops as cartilage wears away, youll need to be specific about when the pain occurs, how bad it is, and the ways it’s affecting you.

Here are some common signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis that may help you identify and better describe your pain to your doctor:

• Pain that aches deep into the joint
• Pain that feels better with rest
• Pain that isn’t noticeable in the morning but gets worse throughout the day
• Pain that radiates into your buttocks, thighs, or groin
• Joint pain that affects your posture and gait and may cause limping
• Pain that occurs after using the joint
• Swelling in the joint

RELATED: Arthritis Lifestyle Types: Which One Are You?

Treatment For Hip Inflammation

Hip bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa in the hip joint that often causes pain and stiffness when going about daily tasks. If you experience hip bursitis, the best way to be certain that the correct diagnosis and treatment are provided for your condition is to receive expert diagnosis and care from an orthopedic team. Active adults with arthritis pain must have access to care that places emphasis on finding the most effective treatment option for them, whenever possible.

At many regional healthcare systems, there are so many different backgrounds, geographic coverage availability, and convenient locations which can make it difficult to know where to find your ideal hip care provider.

To that end, there are new ways in which experienced orthopedic teams work together within regional healthcare networks to provide superior outcomes for their patients when it comes to diagnosing and treating hip bursitis.

Being able to coordinate hip care at one central facility ensures excellence in patient treatment by ensuring each expert within each specialty brings unique knowledge and skills relevant to the patients overall well-being

With these medications combined with a variety of innovative treatments for those patients who suffer from acute or chronic hip problems, todays leading healthcare systems give people access to not only favorable but also knowledgeable medical attention with a clear focus on results.

Read Also: How Can You Diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis

Youre Trying To Cope With Knee Osteoarthritis By Yourself

People with knee osteoarthritis often know that healthy lifestyle habits like exercise and weight control are recommended, but they arent implementing them, Dr. Garver says. His research, which was published in the October 2014 issue of The Journal of Rheumatology found that meeting with others who have osteoarthritis and sharing similar challenges can help motivate people to change their habits and add an exercise routine into their life.

Sciatica: Get It Diagnosed And Treated

When you have sciatica, you should get it diagnosed as soon as possible and treated as soon as possible. Depending on your doctors recommendation, you could undergo surgery, physical therapy, or a combination of the two. As a result of sciatica on one side of your body, you may need to wear supports, such as a seat, when engaging in activities that require a lot of movement, such as skiing or running.

Also Check: Is Red Meat Bad For Arthritis

What Is Toe Arthritis

Toe arthritis is caused by inflammation of the toe joint. The disease most often attacks the big toe, but the others may be affected as well.

Past injuries or traumas, such as a broken or sprained toe, can cause arthritis down the road. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout may also be to blame.

Risk factors include:

• being overweight
• a family history of arthritis

Women who wear tight, high-heeled shoes for much of their lives may also be at risk for toe arthritis.

Can Arthritis Pain Make You Feel Sick

Have you ever seen an older adult with their fists clenched tight, unable to expand their fingers, or have difficulty walking due to stiff knees? Maybe youre not an elder, yet youve experienced these feelings yourself. That feeling of stiffness and pain might be a condition known as arthritis. Read on to see if arthritis pain can actually make us feel sick.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and making a range of motion very difficult. Once the diagnosis is confirmed symptoms typically worsen with age.

But can arthritis pain make you feel sick? In short yes, it can. Anything that sparks excessive inflammation can bring on a fever. With a fever typically comes feelings of illness, fatigue, and soreness. In terms of arthritis, sometimes the inflammation can become so severe that it alters ones way of living, making daily tasks feel like a production. 1

Clinical History

Arthritis was first clinically discovered in the 1800s, but scientific evidence can date the condition back to 4500BC. Some call it an ailment as old as time. There are over 100 different forms of arthritis. However, two forms of arthritis are predominantly diagnosed. 2

Recommended Reading: How Does Methotrexate Help Rheumatoid Arthritis

Can Sciatica Cause Hip And Groin Pain

Sciatica is a condition that can cause pain in the lower back, buttocks, and legs. The pain is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down the legs. Sciatica can be caused by a number of things, including a herniated disc, bone spurs, or muscle spasms. The pain can range from mild to severe, and in some cases, it can be so severe that it interferes with daily activities. In addition to pain, sciatica can also cause numbness, tingling, and weakness in the affected leg. While sciatica can cause pain in the hip and groin area, it is more likely to cause pain in the buttocks and legs.

Recommended Reading: Is Peanut Bad For Arthritis