re:
painful joints for a day or two = RA?
message #:
10817.2 in response to 10817.1
Hi Allie. I'm glad you found us. It would be difficult from what you've described to tell whether you're in the beginning stages of RA or not. Can you tell me which finger joint becomes painful? RA most usually affects the finger joints nearest to your knuckles, while osteoarthritis (OA) normally affects the joints nearest to the tip of your fingers. Additionally, RA usually is symmetrical, meaning that both sides of your body would show symptoms. Is the arthritis in your knees OA? If so, I might suspect that your finger joint pain is OA as well, but only a doctor can tell for sure.
Here are some typical symptoms of RA:
morning stiffness that lasts longer than one hour for at least six weeks
three or more joints that are inflamed for at least six weeks
presence of arthritis in the hand, wrist, or finger joints for at least six weeks
blood tests that reveal rheumatoid factor
x-rays that show characteristic changes in the joints
fatigue and/or flu-like feeling
If you feel like you might have the beginnings of RA, I would consult with your doctor and see if he will refer you to a rheumatologist. I hope you'll let us know what you find out and please feel free to ask more questions. We will try our best to help. :)
