ARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS

We hear the word arthritis all the time.  Millions of people suffer pain and disability from arthritis and its complications. Most people accept joint pain as a part of aging. As age increases, joint pain and limitation of movement intensify.

A person may get joint pain due to various reasons such as getting sprains, prolonged sitting, standing in one position for long hours, joint inflammation due to diet, and aging. More and more people require joint pain relief due to this condition.

 Arthritis Symptoms

 ·         Fatigue. Osteoarthritis is related to some fatigue. For some people with arthritis, chronic fatigue can be more debilitating than the painful, swollen joints associated with the disease. Fatigue is an intense feeling of tiredness, exhaustion, and lack of energy. It is the most challenging symptom to live with and treat. Inflammatory disease, lifestyle habits, and medication side effects are the primary cause of cause drowsiness or fatigue. It is a very unpleasant companion to patients with osteoarthritis. It affects your sleep habits, which adds to your exhaustion. Being fatigued, in turn, can worsen pain and make it more difficult to manage.

 ·         Pain in the joints. Joints are the parts of your body that allows the bones of your skeleton to move. Joint pain can be widespread with arthritis. Shoulder pain, ankle pain, and knee pain can be apparent. Joint pain is usually worse after waking in the morning or after a period of rest.  Pain tends to develop and worsen over several weeks or months.

 ·         The growth of bony knobs on finger joints. This bone deformity is referred to as Heberden's node, named after a very famous British doctor. The skeletal deformity is a result of the bone spurs from the osteoarthritis in that joint. Another familiar bony knob (node) occurs at the middle joint of the fingers in many patients with osteoarthritis and is called a Bouchard's node. Dr. Bouchard was a famous French doctor who also studied arthritis patients at the turn of the last century. The Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes may not be painful, but they are often associated with the limitation of motion of the joint. The characteristic appearances of these finger nodes can be helpful in diagnosing osteoarthritis.

 ·         Finger numbness. This condition can cause tingling, slight burning in the hands, and a prickling feeling.  It can also affect your ability to pick things up. Moreover, you may feel like you’ve lost strength in your hands. Treatment of numbness in the fingers includes:

                        ü Using wrist braces

ü Having periodic injections of steroids to reduce the swelling of the fingers and other joints

ü Stop or avoid doing activities that worsen the symptoms

ü Surgery. Opening the flexor retinaculum (transverse carpal ligament) and releasing the median nerve from entrapment can often relieve the symptoms.

  ·  Swollen, red, or warm joints. Swelling is a common presenting problem in patients with arthritis. The affected joint is extremely painful, red is relatively uncommon, swollen, and feels warm when you touch it. You’d never want to move and put weight on that joint. Swelling usually lasts for three days or longer or more than three times a month should prompt a visit to the doctor.

    This scenario can occur with other pathologies and diagnosis may be particularly challenging in patients with pre-existing inflammatory arthritis. Consider septic arthritis in any patient with inflammatory arthritis who presents with a joint flare, particularly if one joint has flared more often than others.

 ·  Stiffness. It is a loss of mobility and motion of the fingers, especially in the morning. A trigger finger usually presents pain, locking or catching of the finger when moving it, and occasionally a permanently bent finger. Often, patients complain of the inability to do activities they enjoy because of a loss of gripping ability or readiness and grace in physical activity.                                           

    The typical reason for this loss in mobility include. Stenosing tenosynovitis or locked trigger finger, DuPuy Ren’s contracture, arthritis, and injury, and fortunately, there are treatments available for these conditions.

·   Sausage Fingers. Have you seen a person with unusually large fat fingers? In more severe cases the whole fingers or toes become swollen. He/she may suffer from Dactylitis. The medical term for this is ‘dactylitis, also referred to as ‘sausage fingers’ or ‘sausage toes. Dactylitis is a puffy nature of inflammation that causes the fingers to feel warm, hand to become bloated, swollen, and look like sausages. It can be due to an infection or a change in the immune system. It can make your fingers so rigid, making it difficult to move that you can no longer make a fist.

Managing Arthritic Pain and Inflammation

Arthritis may come and go, but it's still important to seek treatment. However, you can manage the pain brought about by arthritis by doing the following tips.

1.Lose Weight – Obesity can affect your joints big time. The heavier you are, the more your weight will stifle your joints. If you are on the heavy side, better start today by doing diet and exercise to gradually reduce your weight.

 

2.  Get some exercise – An idle bolt will rust faster. You’ve got to move to keep your joints from “rusting” so to speak. Exercise can also improve your heart health and will also augment your energy levels. You can try exercises such as Tai Chi or yoga to strengthen your joints and muscles.

 3. Hot and cold therapy for joint pain – Experiment with hot and cold compresses and hot and cold baths to relieve your joint pain.

4. Meditation and relaxation exercises – Calm your mind to help your body recover faster. Meditation can also help you to acquire a mindset most conducive to health. You will respond better to treatment if your mind is calm and relaxed.

5.  Massage for arthritis – A good massage can also help to reduce the pain brought about by arthritis.

6.  Acupuncture and acupressure – You can also try alternative treatment modalities such as acupuncture or acupressure to minimize joint pain.

     

    When arthritis symptoms persist, it is best to seek your doctor’s advice. Although there isn't a cure, medications and lifestyle changes can help prevent flares, reduce symptoms, and you can make the quality of your life better.