While arthritis causes chronic pain and inflammation, detecting the disease early significantly eases the treatment process. That’s the reason reputed healthcare centres focus on identifying knee arthritis symptoms affecting patients. In this guide, we will explain the common symptoms of different types of arthritis. This ensures timely diagnosis and effective pain management to reduce joint pain.

Whether you are experiencing occasional discomfort or chronic joint issues, it’s imperative to know the common arthritis symptoms. This way, patients can remain informed about the common risk factors and seek professional care from physicians.

Check out the impact of arthritis on daily life and seek pain relief therapies to improve the quality of your life.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Arthritis?

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The signs and symptoms of knee arthritis and its other forms largely depend on the type of condition affecting the patient. Arthritis consists of more than 100 diseases, which are medical conditions accompanied by pain and inflammation of the joints. 

Here are some common symptoms of different types of arthritis.

• Stiffness in the joint, posing challenges to movements
• Redness around the joint or swollen joints that feel warm when touched
• Soreness in the joints that hurts when touched

 Now, let’s take a closer look at the symptoms of common types of arthritis.

Knee Arthritis Symptoms

Common symptoms of arthritis in legs or knees include stiffness, swelling, and pain. However, other conditions like sprains can also lead to these symptoms. Therefore, proper diagnosis of the knee joint is necessary to determine the cause of swelling and pain.

Continuous wear and tear of the cartilage around the knee joint leads to osteoarthritis. Without the protective layer in place, the joints and bones undergo friction, causing pain, stiffness, and loss of movement.

Other knee arthritis symptoms include:

• Difficulty in climbing stairs or walking
• Knee pain along with stiffness and hardness
• Difficulty in bending the knee after being in a sitting position
• Cracking or popping sound on moving the knee
• Grinding sensation on making knee movements
• A feeling that the knee is stuck or locked
• Unstable knees, as if it’s going to buckle

Arthritis Symptoms in Hands

Some common arthritis symptoms in hands, finger joints, wrists, and the base of the thumb include:

• Stiffness
• Pain
• Puffiness
• Limited range of motion
• Numbness
• Bony knots around joints
• Pitting in fingernails
• Red rashes on joints
• Difficulty in bending fingers
• Thickened skin
• Silvery or red patches on hands

Patients may experience one more of these symptoms, which limits their daily activities and causes chronic pain.

Symptoms of Different Types Of Arthritis Disease

 In this section, we will discuss the common symptoms of different types of arthritis. 

Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It involves the wear and tear of the joints, leading to cartilage damage on aging. Osteoarthritis also affects ligaments and tissues lining the joint. As osteoarthritis of the knee breaks up the cartilage, the bone shape changes, leading to swelling and pain in the joints.

Common Symptoms

• Severe joint pain
• Stiffness after waking up
• Tenderness in the affected area
• Grating, or the feeling that elements inside the joint are rubbing 
• Reduced range of motion
• Bone spurs or hard lumps
• Changes in the joint shape

Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system attacks your own body and affects the lining of your joints. A fluid produced by the synovial tissue ensures smooth movements of the joints. However, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the synovium becomes thick. This renders the joint swollen and painful.

RA usually affects the knees, ankles, hands, and sides of the body. Under extreme conditions, it can affect the hips, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, besides troubling the circulatory system, heart, and lungs. RA affects more women compared to men.

Common Symptoms

• Tenderness, joint pain, and swelling lasting more than 6 weeks
• Stiff joints in the morning for more than half an hour
• Multiple joints affected, particularly the small ones on the feet, hands, and wrists
• Affects the same joints in the body on both sides

Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms

This is a progressive inflammatory condition of the joints where the bones are attached to ligaments and tendons. Psoriatic arthritis occurs when the immune system leads to inflammation, causing swelling and pain. Most patients with this type of arthritis already have some kind of skin disease. Some patients also experience joint pain before rashes erupt on their skin.

Psoriatic arthritis affects both men and women equally, and the syndrome develops between 7 and 10 years after the skin symptoms show up.

Common symptoms

• Inflamed and scaly patches of skin on the knees, elbows, and scalp
• Stiffness, pain, and swelling with arthritis of the knee, lower back, hips, and neck
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Tenderness in the joints where ligaments and tendons are attached to bones
• Painful swelling of toes and fingers like sausages
• Crumbling nails and dents on the nails, resembling deformations
• The middle layer of the eye gets inflamed
• Inflammation in the digestive tract in some individuals

Gout Symptoms

Gout is another inflammatory type of arthritis where the joints swell up and cause pain. This inflammation can last for a couple of weeks before recovering. Usually, gout flares show up in the big toe or lower limbs.

This type of arthritis happens due to the accumulation of urea in the system over a prolonged period.

Common symptoms

• Joint pain, starting with the big toe and spreading to other joints
• Intense pain, particularly at night
• Redness and swelling of the affected joint
• Flares due to the consumption of alcohol, certain foods, and even medications

Other risk factors associated with gout include chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heart attack, and kidney stones.

Comprehensive Arthritis Care to Reduce Joint Pain

While arthritis cannot be cured, physicians recommend physical therapy to reduce stress on the knee and other affected joints. Treatment options for arthritis pain include anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications that reduce pain. In severe cases, total knee replacement surgery may be necessary to restore mobility. 

At Santokh Hospital, we comprehensively treat all types of arthritis, ensuring greater comfort and mobility for our patients. Schedule an appointment with us to improve your lifestyle and let our seasoned physicians take care of your joints.