Pain from arthritis can be constant or it may come and go. It may occur when at rest or while moving. Pain may be in one part of the body or in many different parts. Some types of arthritis cause the skin over the affected joint to become red and swollen, feeling warm to the touch.
Chronic pain caused by arthritis affects millions of people in the United States every year. About one in four adults with arthritis—15 million people—report experiencing severe joint pain related to arthritis. Additionally, nearly half of adults with arthritis have persistent pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be one of the most painful types of arthritis; it affects joints as well as other surrounding tissues, including organs. This inflammatory, autoimmune disease attacks healthy cells by mistake, causing painful swelling in the joints, like hands, wrists and knees.
Pain intensity varies from person to person. It can range from mild to moderate and may be manageable with drugs and regular physical activity. For some it can be debilitating, making any movement of the affected joint difficult, but continuing physical movement of any sort is known to help.
There are many forms of inflammatory arthritis; signs that are typical for most include: Pain, swelling and stiffness in one or multiple joints. Morning stiffness in and around the affected joints lasting at least one hour. Pain and stiffness that worsens with inactivity and improves with physical activity.
Viral Arthritis
Joint symptoms from parvovirus usually clear up quickly, lasting only from a few days to several weeks. Another virus that causes arthritis joint pain is called Chikungunya. It's caused by bites from infected mosquitoes, is increasingly reported in travelers, and causes symptoms that closely mimic RA.
Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the hands. However, osteoarthritis often affects the joint closest to the tip of the finger, whereas rheumatoid arthritis usually spares this joint. And while rheumatoid arthritis can appear in any joint, its most common targets are the hands, wrists, and feet.
X-rays are often a good tool for determining if arthritis exists and, specifically, what type. Common types of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Several less common types of arthritis also occur with regular frequency.
Pain from arthritis can be ongoing or can come and go. It may occur when you're moving or after you have been still for some time. You may feel pain in one spot or in many parts of your body. Your joints may feel stiff and be hard to move.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system targets affected joints, which leads to pain and swelling. The outer covering (synovium) of the joint is the first place affected. This can then spread across the joint, leading to further swelling and a change in the joint's shape.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. Some people call it degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis.
Pills. NSAIDs are the most effective oral medicines for OA. They include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) naproxen (Aleve) and diclofenac (Voltaren, others). All work by blocking enzymes that cause pain and swelling.
Heat and cold.
Use of heat, such as applying heating pads to aching joints, taking hot baths or showers, or immersing painful joints in warm paraffin wax, can help relieve pain temporarily. Be careful not to burn yourself. Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
People with arthritis often experience more severe pain and stiffness first thing in the morning, Dr Christine Haseler, a GP with a special interest in arthritis says: “Joints affected by osteoarthritis often stiffen up in the mornings and can make nights uncomfortable and restless.
No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition. Some of the main blood tests used include: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body.
Doctors usually diagnose arthritis using the patient's medical history, physical examination, X-rays, and blood tests. It is possible to have more than one form of arthritis at the same time. There are many forms of arthritis, and diagnosing the specific type you have can help your doctor determine the best treatment.
Blood, Fluid and Tissue Tests
Blood tests are not needed to diagnose all types of arthritis, but they help to confirm or exclude some forms of inflammatory arthritis. Your doctor may also draw joint fluid or do a skin or muscle biopsy to help diagnose certain forms of arthritis.
Lying down can cause inflammatory chemicals to pool in the fluid that cushions your joints, which makes them stiffen up. And your perception of pain may be heightened during the nighttime because you're not distracted by anything else.
Differentiating joint pain from arthritis
Technically, arthritis describes any condition that causes inflammation and pain in your joints. In fact, the hallmark inflammation of arthritis is often what causes the pain. With joint pain, you may experience an achy or painful joint without the inflammation.
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain and tenderness all over your body. Unlike arthritis, this isn't because you have problems with your joints, bones or muscles.
Reported joint pain from osteoarthritis ranges from dull and aching to sharp and piercing. The pain may worsen during movement. It is also possible for the pain to lessen during activity and then worsen after the activity ends, as joints cool down. As symptoms progress, the pain may be felt almost constantly.
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 (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once.