The different forms of arthritis cause joint damage in different ways, but they share some common symptoms. The experts at Summit Orthopedics in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area explain how understanding the signs of arthritis can help you know when to seek medical attention.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 53 million U.S. adults have some type of arthritis. This makes joint pain a common symptom to experience, leading to millions of medical visits every year and many lost workdays.
While joint pain is a common symptom of arthritis, it isn’t the only one. Depending on the type of arthritis, you may develop other symptoms in the affected joints—or even symptoms affecting other parts of your body.
How Arthritis Affects the Body
Every type of arthritis works differently, but each one damages the joints. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, occurs when the tissues and cartilage in a joint break down over time. As cartilage in weight-bearing joints breaks down, it becomes brittle and less absorbent. The cartilage breaks into flakes, which can end up in the joint lining, also called the synovium.
Unlike the bone and cartilage portions of the joint, which contain few or zero nerve endings, the synovial lining contains many nerve endings, making it very sensitive. When cartilage fragments infiltrate the joint lining, it can result in increased inflammation and pain. The affected joint becomes less stable and less functional.
Though osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis both cause damage to the synovial lining, they do so in different ways. With rheumatoid arthritis, the damage is done by the body’s own immune system, which mistakenly sends antibodies to attack the synovial lining.
The Early Symptoms of Arthritis
Joint pain is not only the most common symptom of arthritis—it is also often the first symptom people experience. The pain isn’t the same for every person, though. Arthritis related pain may be experienced as a burning, throbbing, tenderness, ache or soreness, and it may affect a small area around the joint or a larger part of the body.
The inflammation associated with arthritis can also cause other symptoms. When you have arthritis, your joints may be:
- Puffy
- Red
- Sensitive to touch
- Stiff
- Swollen
- Warm to the touch
Stiffness is particularly common. If you’re having difficulties moving a joint or joints, take note of when you’re experiencing stiffness and how long it lasts. These details can help an arthritis specialist confirm whether you’re experiencing arthritis and, if so, what type of arthritis you have.
Morning stiffness and stiffness after sitting for a while are both common indicators of arthritis, particularly if the stiffness lasts for an hour or longer.
Because joint pain is so common, it can be difficult to know when to seek medical attention. The Arthritis Foundation recommends checking in with a medical provider if you experience jointrelated swelling for three days or longer or if you experience joint swelling several times within a single month.
Less-Common Symptoms of Arthritis
The symptoms of osteoarthritis are typically limited to the joints, causing the signs listed above. This type of arthritis is degenerative, meaning it’s directly related to physical breakdown in the joints.
Inflammatory arthritis, on the other hand, can cause symptoms that affect parts of the body beyond the joints. That’s the case with rheumatoid arthritis, which can cause fatigue, fever and weight loss in addition to joint-related discomfort.
Psoriatic arthritis, another type of inflammatory arthritis, can also cause symptoms in other parts of the body, including painful swelling of a whole finger or toe, nail changes, eye inflammation, and tenderness where tendons or ligaments attach to bone.
What to Do If You’re Experiencing Signs of Arthritis
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms outlined above, particularly if they linger for several days or recur, check in with your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP can review your symptoms, talk through your personal and family medical history, and perform a thorough physical exam.
For suspected arthritis, your provider may refer you to a specialist for a diagnosis and treatment plan. Arthritis diagnosis includes three components—a review of your medical history, a physical exam that pays particular attention to the affected joint and imaging scans such as an X-ray. Medical providers are typically able to identify the signs of arthritic joints using X-ray images.
The specialist may order additional tests to determine the specific type of arthritis you have. These can include blood tests to rule out other medical conditions and certain tests that can identify markers of inflammation or other indicators of rheumatoid arthritis.
Finding the Right Treatment
Arthritis isn’t something you simply have to grin and bear. There are a number of different arthritis treatments varying from simple, at-home measures to surgical procedures such as joint replacement.
Your provider may first recommend trying some simple techniques for alleviating your joint pain and other symptoms. This can include taking over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatory medications, applying cold or heat to the affected joint, performing certain exercises or participating in physical therapy.
If these measures aren’t effective in alleviating your discomfort, your provider may suggest medications, such as corticosteroids, that are injected directly into the affected joint. These treatment options can provide temporary relief of pain and other symptoms.
Sometimes, though, severe arthritis pain may continue to affect your quality of life. When other treatment options haven’t helped, joint replacement may be recommended. While joint replacement was once thought of as a surgery primary for older adults, experts at Summit Orthopedics increasingly perform this surgery for younger people. As joint replacement technology improves, symptom management and the desire for a better quality of life drive the decision.
Joint replacement surgery involves replacing the damaged portion of the joint or the entire joint with artificial components. People who have joint replacement surgery usually experience pain relief and improved mobility after completing postsurgical physical therapy. While artificial components eventually wear down and require replacement, the technology is continually improving, and joint replacement offers a longer-lasting treatment option for severe joint pain.
Experiencing signs of arthritis and ready to find relief? Find an arthritis expert or request an appointment online to schedule a consultation.
