Last updated 27/12/2023 by The pain clinics - Interdisciplinary Health

15 Early Signs of Rheumatic Arthritis

Here are 15 early signs of rheumatoid arthritis that allow you to recognize the autoimmune, rheumatic disorder at an early stage and get the right treatment. An early diagnosis is very important for making the right decisions regarding treatment, training and adjustments in everyday life. Neither of these characters means you have on your own rheumatic arthritis, but if you experience more of the symptoms, we recommend that you contact your GP for a consultation.

More focus should be placed on research aimed at rheumatism and rheumatic disorders affecting so many - that's why we encourage you to share this article in social media, Feel free to like our Facebook page and say, "Yes to more research on rheumatism."

In this way one can make the neglected patient group more visible and ensure that funding for research on new assessment and treatment methods is prioritized.

TIP: Many people with rheumatoid arthritis experience that compression gloves can be helpful in counteracting pain in the hands and stiff fingers. This also applies when using custom compression socks (links open in a new window) against stiff ankles and sore feet.

VIDEO: 5 Movement Exercises for Those with Fibromyalgia (Soft Tissue Rheumatism)

Did you know that fibromyalgia is classified as soft tissue rheumatism? Soft tissue rheumatism and other rheumatic disorders often cause significant muscle pain, impaired mobility and stiff joints. In the video below you will see five movement and stretching exercises that can help you relieve pain, improve movement and increase local blood circulation.

Join our family and subscribe to our YouTube channel (click here) for free exercise tips, exercise programs and health knowledge. Welcome! It means a lot to us. Thank you very much.

We know that the earlier signs of rheumatoid arthritis can vary from person to person and thus note that the following symptoms and clinical signs are a generalization - and that the article does not necessarily contain a complete list of possible symptoms that can be affected in an early stage of rheumatic arthritis, but rather an attempt to show the most common symptoms.

Feel free to use the comment box at the bottom of the article to read comments from others and comment on this article if you miss something - then we will do our best to add it.

Also read: - 7 Exercises for Rheumatists

1. Exhaustion

Feeling energized and exhausted is a common symptom that can occur in all stages of rheumatic arthritis - and especially in the phases where the joints are inflamed and swollen. Fatigue may be due to poor sleep, anemia (low blood percentage), side effects from medication and / or the body's immune system counteracting inflammation.

This energy loss that often occurs in those affected by rheumatic arthritis can go beyond mood and emotional life - which in turn can result in the influence of work, relationships, sex drive, productivity and well-being.

Affected?

Join the Facebook group «Rheumatism - Norway: Research and news"(Press here) for the latest updates on research and media writing about this disorder. Here, members can also get help and support - at all times of the day - through the exchange of their own experiences and advice.

2. Joint pain

Rheumatoid arthritis causes joint pain due to inflammation that forms inside the joint. In the active phase of this diagnosis, the joint can swell and irritate the joint capsule - this causes pain signals that are sent directly to the brain. This type of arthritis can cause permanent joint damage with associated damage to cartilage, bones and ligaments.

Pressure tenderness in joints

A characteristic sign of rheumatic arthritis is considerable soreness and pain when the joint is pressed. This is because the joint capsule itself becomes irritated and painful due to the increased pressure caused by inflammation - at external pressure (palpation) the joint will be very tender. This significant tenderness and pain in the joints - often with light touch - can lead to sleep problems and insomnia.

Swelling in joints

Swelling of the joints is very common in rheumatic arthritis. Sometimes the swelling can be minimal - and other times it can be extensive and significant. Such swelling in the joints can lead to reduced mobility - and especially swelling of the fingers can lead to fine motor skills being hit and rings no longer fitting.

This can be very tiring, unpleasant and troublesome - especially for those who like to do knitting, crochet and other needlework.

5. Redness in the joints

A reddish color may occur over the joints when inflamed. The redness of the skin around an inflamed joint, as in rheumatic arthritis, occurs because the blood vessels expand due to the underlying inflammatory process. But it is important to keep in mind that the inflammation and inflammation must be large enough to cause this enlargement in the blood vessels before we can actually see the redness of the skin.

6. Warm joints

Have you experienced the joints feeling warm? Such arthritis, as in rheumatic arthritis, is a sign of ongoing and active inflammation. Doctors and clinicians always check for joint heat when they try to get an overview of what joints are affected by you and to what degree.

The joints will normalize - that is, the heat will disappear - when the inflammation and inflammation improves. Sometimes such hot joints can also occur without reddish skin or joint swelling.

7. Stiff joints

Stiffness and stiff joints are characteristic symptoms of rheumatic arthritis. Typically, joints that are affected by active rheumatoid arthritis will be inflamed and significantly stiffer during the morning than later in the day. The duration of this morning stiffness can be used to measure the extent of the active joint inflammation.

One would expect the duration of such morning stiffness to decrease as the inflammatory reactions slow down.

8. Impaired joint mobility

The more inflamed the joints become with active rheumatoid arthritis - the less mobile they become. It is fluid accumulation and swelling in the joint capsule that limits the natural range of motion - and one often sees associated weakness in such affected areas.

Prolonged, debilitating rheumatic arthritis can lead to permanently impaired joint mobility and function.

9. Polyarthritis

Normally - but not always - rheumatoid arthritis will affect several joints. Classical rheumatic arthritis particularly affects the smaller joints of the hands, wrists and feet - and then symmetrically on both sides. Then it is usually the knees, elbows, hips, ankles and shoulders that can be affected and become inflamed.

It is therefore common for several joints to be affected, but in certain rare cases there may be involvement of only a few joints. This is something you often see in juvenile arthritis, for example. If more than four joints are affected, it is called polyarthritis - and if only one joint is affected, then the correct term for this monoarthritis is.

10. Reduced fine motor

Due to reduced joint function and pain, the fine motor in the hands can be adversely affected. This can be difficult - especially for those who are very fond of doing needlework.

11. Halting

Losing can be an early sign that rheumatic arthritis has hit the hips, knees, ankles or feet. But as is well known, lameness can also be caused by a number of other disorders - such as nerve pain, muscle ailments and joint problems.

In rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, joint mobility and swelling in the joints can cause a person to suffer from a limb. It is not uncommon for pain-free lameness to be the very first sign of rheumatoid arthritis - especially in children or adolescents.

12. Malformation of bone structures

Curved fingers and deformed hands? Joints can become deformed due to prolonged and chronic rheumatic arthritis. This is due to extensive inflammation that breaks down the cartilage and bone tissue over time. Upon early detection, treatment can keep this destructive inflammation at bay and help reduce such bone formation and joint destruction.

13. Symmetrical joint involvement

Rheumatoid arthritis typically has symmetrical effects - that is, joints are affected equally on both sides of the body. This is one of the surest signs that rheumatoid arthritis is involved. There are always some exceptions to confirm the rule, but it is very common for the joints to be affected on both sides - for example in both hands or in both knees.

In rheumatic arthritis, it is often (but not always) seen that several joints are affected on both sides of the body. Therefore, rheumatic arthritis is called symmetrical polyarthritis. As is known, especially the smaller joints in the hands, wrists and feet are affected.

The first symptoms of rheumatic arthritis can come suddenly and brutally - or they may gradually sneak up on you. In the beginning, for example, the joints may be affected by a very light and invisible swelling and reduced mobility. The pain can also vary greatly - from pain that makes all activity impossible to aching background pain. The symptoms can thus vary greatly from person to person.

14. Damaged joint function

Due to the fact that rheumatic arthritis causes pain, swelling and tenderness in affected joints - then this can lead to greatly reduced joint function. This swelling and increased pain sensitivity can lead to a sharp reduction in the range of motion in the joints - something that can go hard beyond normal movement in everyday life, as well as everyday tasks. Over time, this can also go beyond balance and coordination.

15. Anemia (low blood percentage)

Due to the chronic inflammation present in rheumatic arthritis, the bone marrow will limit the release of healthy red blood cells into the bloodstream. This means that you have a lower blood percentage when the rheumatic arthritis is active - and this in turn can lead to fatigue and exhaustion as mentioned earlier. It is not uncommon for the blood percentage to improve almost immediately when the bodily inflammatory reactions calm down.

What can you do if you have rheumatism?

- Collaborate with your GP and study a plan for how you can stay as healthy as possible, this may involve:

Neurological referral for examination of nerve function

Rheumatological examination

Treatment by a public authorized therapist (physiotherapist, chiropractor or similar)

Customize everyday life (read more about it here: 7 Tips To Endure Chronic Pain And Fibromyalgia)

Cognitive processing

Exercise program (read: 7 Exercises for Those Affected by Rheumatism)

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