How Would You Know If You Have Arthritis

Are There Any Home Remedies For Rheumatoid Arthritis

If someone has joint pain or stiffness, he or she may think it is just a normal part of getting older and that there is nothing he or she can do. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are several options for medical treatment and even more to help prevent further joint damage and symptoms. Discuss these measures with a health-care professional to find ways to make them work.

• First of all, dont delay diagnosis or treatment. Having a correct diagnosis allows a health-care professional to form a treatment plan. Delaying treatment increases the risk that the arthritis will get worse and that serious complications will develop.
• Learn everything about rheumatoid arthritis. If there are any questions, ask a health-care professional. If any questions remain, ask the health-care professional to provide reliable sources of information. Some resources are listed later in this article.
• Know the pros and cons of all of treatment options, and work with a health-care professional to decide on the best options. Understand the treatment plan and what benefits and side effects can be expected.
• Learn about the symptoms. If someone has rheumatoid arthritis, he or she probably has both general discomfort and pain in specific joints. Learn to tell the difference. Pain in a specific joint often results from overuse. Pain in a joint that lasts more than one hour after an activity probably means that that activity was too stressful and should be avoided.

Increase physical activity.

Have Fun Without The Food

The meal, and the act of eating with others, can put extra pressure on both the hosts and the guests regardless of RA. If you have an open-minded group of family and friends, try something totally different and skip the big meal altogether. Go for a hike, or eat a small meal at a local park. Bring cookies, hot cocoa, or a board game and let loose.

One year, I met up with several other families at a local park. We took turns riding tandem bikes in the freezing cold. It was so much fun and created the best memories. If you havent played a human version of hungry-hungry hippos with laundry baskets and hollow plastic golf balls, give it a try. Its a great activity for a holiday celebration. Cheers!

What Does Knee Pain Caused By Arthritis Feel Like

With the immense amount of pressure and strain put on our knees day after day and year after year, it is not surprising that knee pain is such a widespread complaint in men and women of all ages in Atlanta, GA. While there are certainly some more serious causes of knee pain, in a large number of people, knee pain is temporary and, relatively, harmless. However, if you think the pain in your knees may be caused by arthritis, here are a few telltale signs and symptoms to watch for:

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Types Of Inflammatory Arthritis

Some of the common types of inflammatory arthritis are:

• Rheumatoid arthritis :RA is an autoimmune condition. In RA, your immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints.
• Psoriatic arthritis :PsA is a type of arthritis that impacts individuals with the skin condition psoriasis. Its an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks healthy joint and skin tissue.
• Axial spondyloarthritis: Axial spondyloarthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis that mainly impacts the spine and sacroiliac joints. The SI joints are the joints that connect your hipbone to your spine.
• Lupus arthritis: Like RA and PsA, lupus is an autoimmune condition. Many people with lupus have musculoskeletal involvement, which can lead to joint pain and swelling.
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis :JIA is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects children and adolescents. Its an autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy joint tissues.
• Gout:Gout is an inflammatory condition that can cause joints to swell and become sensitive and painful. Its triggered by the presence of uric acid crystals in the joints.

Generally speaking, all types of inflammatory arthritis involve the following symptoms in the joints:

• tenderness or pain

However, each type of inflammatory arthritis can also have unique symptoms or impact a specific area of the body. Lets explore this now.

Imaging Test Results Help Paint A Picture

X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds are all tests that can help track and detect the severity of joint and cartilage damage. Bone erosion and destruction of cartilage can happen quickly within the first two years that you have rheumatoid arthritis, and the damage may continue to develop over time.

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Joint Friction The Feeling Of Bones Grinding Or Rubbing Together As You Move Due To Wearing Down Of Cartilage

If you have arthritis in your knees, you may first notice pain while walking up and down stairs, after you run, at the end of the day or right after you wake up. If you have arthritis in your fingers, your knuckles may be swollen and painfulsometimes the first sign is that you can no longer wear your rings.

The bottom line is if youre having persistent joint pain, no matter what age you are, talk to your doctor. To relieve minor arthritis pain, try BC® Arthritis, now available in sealed stick packs that are easy to take with you wherever you go.

What Is The Knee Joint

Three bones come together to form your knee joint. They include the:

A smooth substance called cartilage covers the ends of each bone. Its a cushion between the bones that keeps them from rubbing together. The synovial membrane, a type of tissue that surrounds the joint, lubricates the cartilage.

Arthritis of the knee causes pain and swelling in the joint

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Sciatica Symptoms In Hip Is It Sciatica Or Something Else

Sciatica symptoms in the hip is a very common feature of sciatica but it can also be a sign of a completely different issue entirely. Use this handy guide below to find clues as to whether your pain is a sign of sciatica symptoms in the hip or a different problem.

Before we dive in, please be aware that we are part of the Amazon Affiliate programme. This page may contain Amazon affiliate links, so if you choose to purchase a product for your sciatica that we recommend through a link on this page, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Overcome Sciatica alive! Thank you for your support. Please be assured that we only ever recommend products that we truly believe can help.

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.

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Inflammatory Arthritis Vs Osteoarthritis

Arthritis actually describes over 100 different conditions that affect joints and the surrounding tissue. They fall into two main categories: inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis .

Inflammatory arthritis is a systemic disease in which the mechanisms that normally protect your body attack your own joints and tissues instead. The most well-known example is rheumatoid arthritis , which tends to be symmetrical, meaning you’ll have problems in the same joints on both sides of your body, like both wrists or both knees.

The second type of arthritis and the most common form is osteoarthritis. A degenerative disorder, it’s caused by trauma or age-related wear and tear on your joints over time. OA is most likely to affect weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hip, lower spine or big toe, but it can also cause pain and stiffness in your thumb or finger joints.

Here are some early arthritis symptoms that should prompt you to see a medical provider.

1. Pain in a joint. Pain or aching in a joint that gradually becomes worse over time is a classic symptom of arthritis, says Lisa Cannada, M.D., an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. The pain may be triggered by activity, or it may set in after activity or at the end of a long day.

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Is It Ra Or Osteoarthritis

When you first notice foot pain, you may wonder if its osteoarthritis . OA is also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, and it is more common than rheumatoid arthritis.

There is no clear-cut way to tell if you have OA or RA without a medical diagnosis. But OA and RA do have some key differences.

• Usually affects both feet at once

• Morning stiffness generally lasts longer than half an hour

• Most often affects only one foot

• Stiffness tends to be easier to relieve in the morning, often getting better in less than half an hour or with a few minutes of stretching

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Get A Professional Diagnosis

Although these symptoms are all present with arthritis, they dont definitively diagnose you. Only a trained medical professional like Dr. Kimes can do that. He uses X-rays and CT scans to either pinpoint your arthritis or rule it out.

If you dont have arthritis, he gets to the bottom of your pain and other symptoms so he can identify and treat the underlying cause.

Which Arthritis Do Older People Usually Get

OSTEOARTHRITIS. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in older people.

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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Ra

With RA, there are times when symptoms get worse, known as flares, and times when symptoms get better, known as remission.

Signs and symptoms of RA include:

• Pain or aching in more than one joint
• Stiffness in more than one joint
• Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint
• The same symptoms on both sides of the body

What Kinds Of Arthritis Can Occur In The Knee

In the case of knee pain, one of the most common culprits is arthritis. There are three types of arthritis that can occur in the knee, and it is not unheard for patients to have multiple arthritic conditions present at the same time. The three kinds of arthritis that often develop in the knees include:

• Osteoarthritis : A slow-acting, progressive wear-and-tear process that deteriorates joint cartilage. Middle-aged and older patients are the most likely group to develop OA.

• Rheumatoid arthritis : RA can occur at any age. This inflammatory process can be marked by painful swelling in the joints.

• Post-traumatic arthritis: Patients who have a significant knee injury, such as a fracture, torn ligament, or torn meniscus, may develop post-traumatic arthritis. This can occur many years after the injury itself.

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How Long Does It Take To Recover From Hand Surgery

Recovery time depends on many factors, including the severity of your condition, type of surgery you had, the skill of your surgeon and your compliance with therapy. Most people can return to their activities about three months after joint reconstruction surgery. Your team of caregivers can give you the best estimate of your particular recovery time.

Other Possible Causes Of Hand Pain

Hand pain is also a sign of Dupuytrens contracture, a condition in which the tissue of the palm and fingers becomes thickened and tight, causing the fingers to curl inward. Its not clear why Dupuytrens contracture develops, though those who smoke, drink a lot of alcohol, and have seizures or diabetes are more vulnerable to developing it.

Your doctor will also consider whether your hand pain could be due to carpal tunnel syndrome, says Dr. Byram. RA can be a cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, so if we see someone who has carpal tunnel, well want to make sure they dont have RA. Carpal tunnel is a condition that occurs when one of the major nerves to the hand the median nerve is squeezed or compressed as it travels through the wrist, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

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What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation in the affected parts of the body.

RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, unsteadiness , and deformity .

RA can also affect other tissues throughout the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes.

When Should I See My Doctor

Joints get sore and swollen for many reasons. It could be due to an injury, overuse, or doing a new type of physical activity.

See your doctor if you have pain and stiffness that starts with no clear reason, lasts for more than a few days, and also causes swelling, redness and warmth. It is important to start treatment as soon as possible to prevent the condition from getting worse and causing long-term damage.

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Report Joint Pain And What Makes It Feel Worse

Once you get to the rheumatologist, youll undergo a thorough examination. We look at what joints are involved, says Dr. Mikulik. But with psoriatic arthritis, it may not just be the joints but also the tissue around the joints. The doctor will want to know what specific joints are involved, how much swelling you have had, and what makes your pain worse or better. For example, does heat or ice help or make things worse? Are you in more or less pain after physical activity? All of this, says Dr. Mikulik, may provide valuable clues about whether you have PsA.

One Common Pain Two Different Problems

Two likely causes of hip pain are osteoarthritis and bursitis. They have similar symptoms, but very different reasons for causing pain.

Hip osteoarthritis develops as the joints cartilage wears down. WatchHip Osteoarthritis Video

Because of its tendency to share symptoms with hip osteoarthritis and other hip conditions, hip bursitis is sometimes called the great mimicker.

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Document Your Symptoms With Photographs

One challenge during diagnosis: Your symptoms, such as swelling and redness around your joints, may be in remission, meaning they have gone away temporarily, by the time of your appointment. Dr. Mikulik recommends taking pictures of your joints when they are inflamed and showing these images to your rheumatologist. Another thing that your doctor will consider is your family health history. If psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis runs in your family, this makes it more likely you have PsA. According to a 2021 scientific review, several gene variants, or mutations, have been linked to PsA.

What Type Of Doctors Treat Arthritis

Part of your treatment plan may involve working with different health-care specialists. Some common health-care professionals and their role in your treatment are described below. Most doctors make referrals to one of a group of health professionals with whom they work. But you too can ask your doctor to request medical services you think might help you.

Your family doctor may be an excellent source of medical care for your arthritis. Besides having your medication records, your family doctor already has your medical history, is familiar with your general physical health and knows of any past illnesses or injuries. All these facts will give your family doctor a head start in prescribing a treatment plan most suited to your needs.

If your arthritis affects many joints or other parts of the body or seems resistant to treatment, you may benefit from seeing a rheumatologist. This is a doctor with special training and experience in the field of arthritis. Your family doctor, the local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation or the county medical society can refer you to a rheumatologist. You can also search for a rheumatologist on the American College of Rheumatology web site.

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