If you feel a little stiff knee after sitting for too long, or if your joints are painful or swollen, you may be wondering if arthritis is the cause.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, about one-third of adults ages 18 to 64 have arthritis, but since many do not receive arthritis treatment, that number may be higher. Arthritis is also one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. But what exactly is arthritis? How does it feel? Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis refers to joint inflammation in general, and there are literally hundreds of different types of arthritis that can affect anyone of any age.
Since arthritis comes in many forms, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis, it is often misunderstood and raises many questions about symptoms, treatments, and more. To help, we asked experts to answer some of the most searched questions about arthritis on Google.
How Does Arthritis Feel?
Gautam Yagnik, an orthopedic surgeon in sports medicine at the Miami Institute of Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, says joint pain, whether in the knee, hip or fingers, is the number one symptom of arthritis.
However, the severity of pain varies from person to person. According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis pain can be constant or intermittent and can occur while you exercise or rest.
Swelling is another symptom of arthritis, Yagnic says, “for example, you actually notice some fluid in your knee and your knee gets bigger.” ”
Swelling can also cause redness and heat around the joints. You may also experience difficulty moving and stiffness, especially after waking up in the morning or after sitting for a long time.
Stiffness is a typical arthritis symptom. If you feel stiff joints, especially after sitting at a desk or after a car ride for a long time, this could be a sign of arthritis.
Crepitations, the grinding sounds, cracking or popping sounds heard when moving joints, can also be a sign of arthritis, Yagnik said.
What Does Arthritis Look Like?
In many cases, you can’t tell if someone has arthritis by looking at the joints. People with severe disease may notice changes in the appearance of bones or joint alignment, which can get worse as arthritis progresses, Yagnik said.
“You can see some changes,” he said. “The bone protrusion gets a little bigger, so let’s say you have PTSD in one knee and the other knee is normal, you may find that that knee looks bigger, or that knee swelling causes the knee to deform and look a little different from the other side.”
Arthritis tests, including X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs, can reveal joint damage. However, the relationship between actual joint injury and pain levels varies.
“Some people may have very mild arthritis in their knees, but this affects them a lot, they feel very much pain and it is difficult to walk and get up from their chair,” Yagnik said. “Then, you might have another patient come to your office and he’s actually in a much more serious condition.” They appear to have lost a lot of cartilage and there is friction between the bones, but they actually function well.”
How to Eliminate Arthritis of the Fingers
Arthritis of the fingers is common, especially after age 50. Although it is not possible to eliminate arthritis of the fingers, treatment focuses on helping patients maintain function and relieve pain, and treatment is individualized according to the degree of pain and joint deterioration.
Common treatments for arthritis of the fingers include anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium, as well as cortisone or hyaluronic acid injections, physical therapy, or surgery.
“When we start helping people manage arthritis, we always start with the least invasive way and then move on to the most invasive way,” Yagnik said. “The most invasive is joint replacement. However, treatment is usually first-line. ”
Hand exercises such as fist stretching, fingertip touch, thumb extension, and knuckle flexion can also help reduce pain and increase flexibility in arthritis of the fingers.
How Is Arthritis Diagnosed?
According to the Arthritis Foundation, diagnosing arthritis is a multi-step process that begins with a doctor asking about a medical history and discussing your symptoms. History includes general health, family history, and habits such as smoking, diet, exercise, stress, and sleep.
Your doctor will discuss when and how long you have arthritis symptoms, which joints are affected, and whether these symptoms appear at specific times of the day or after activity. You will also be asked to describe the extent of the pain and other symptoms, such as swelling and redness, and whether any over-the-counter medications or exercise can relieve symptoms.
A physical exam includes checking blood pressure, listening to the heart, checking joints for swelling or redness, and moving joints to check range of motion. They may then decide to have imaging tests, such as X-rays or MRIs, or nerve tests, to see if the electrical activity of the nerves is affected.
“A good history can give you a lot,” Yagnic said. “A physical examination of the joints to see if there is swelling, range of motion, and crepitations, followed by a basic X-ray. This is the most helpful (in diagnosing arthritis). ”
He said doctors used X-rays to check for “joint spaces.” Cartilage is not visible on X-rays, so seeing if there is a small space between the bones can help diagnose arthritis.
What Is Psoriatic Arthritis?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis that usually affects the skin and joints.
“Psoriatic arthritis is arthritis, an autoimmune disease,” Agnic said. “This means that the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, causing pain, inflammation, and skin or joint damage.”
Dr. Anthony Fernandez, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, says psoriatic arthritis is a potentially systemic disease of psoriasis that progresses rapidly. If left untreated, serious and irreversible damage to bones and cartilage can occur.
“Early diagnosis is important to maximize the chances of starting appropriate drug therapy,” Fernandez said. “This will protect quality of life and joint function.”
Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis:
- Itchy skin with painful red patches or accumulation of dead skin cells that are white and usually appear on the knees, elbows, and scalp
- Pain, swelling, or redness in the fingers, wrists, ankles, and knees
- The nails crack or appear white spots and rise from the nail bed
- Inflammation and swelling in the area where tendons or ligaments connect with bone, such as the heel
- Fatigue and low-grade fever may also accompany psoriatic arthritis
What Causes Psoriatic Arthritis?
According to the Arthritis Foundation, the exact cause of psoriatic arthritis is unknown, but researchers believe it is both hereditary and triggered by environmental factors such as stress, infection, or physical trauma.
Regular exercise, stress control, healthy eating, keeping your skin moist, and using fragrance-free cleansers can help people manage psoriatic arthritis.
Treatment of psoriatic arthritis includes over-the-counter and prescription drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, corticosteroids, and condition-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which reduce inflammation. Surgery and physical therapy may also be required.
