Health tips: Is your joint pain really arthritis?
Health tips: What’s behind your joint pain?
| Joint pain, stiffness or swelling may make you think you have arthritis, but arthritis isn’t the only possible cause. Pain can come from the joint itself or from nearby bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments or nerves. Paying attention to when and where you hurt — and what your pain feels like — can provide important clues.Here are six things to consider: |
Notice where it hurts. Osteoarthritis often affects the hands and weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees and feet. Pain just outside a joint and over a tendon may be tendinitis, while bursitis can cause aching or tenderness around a joint. Consider when the pain occurs. Morning stiffness that lasts for hours is more likely to occur with rheumatoid arthritis or another inflammatory condition. Osteoarthritis pain often occurs during or after using a joint, and stiffness after rest typically improves within about 30 minutes. Think about how the pain feels. Pain from tissue damage or inflammation is often sharp, aching and localized. Pain from affected or damaged nerves may feel burning, tingling, shooting or like an electric shock. Pay attention if pain is widespread. Fibromyalgia can cause widespread pain, fatigue and sleep problems. Unlike arthritis pain, fibromyalgia pain isn’t caused by swelling or damage to the joints. Look beyond pain alone. Other symptoms can help fill in the picture. Fatigue, weakness, fever, skin changes or even how pain affects your sleep and daily activities can provide clues about what’s causing it. Know when it’s time to get help. Contact your healthcare team for new or persistent pain lasting several days, severe or worsening joint pain, pain with fever or rash, numbness or pain that radiates from your neck or lower back, or pain following a joint injury. |