Your joints hurt, but does this mean you have arthritis? The following symptoms may signal rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis:
Recurring pain or tenderness in single or multiple joints, with pain ranging from moderate to severe intensity, and aching in nature, rather than knife-like pain.
Swelling in one or more joints.
Morning stiffness that last more than 15 minutes
Pain symptoms that last more than three weeks
If you suspect arthritis, make an appointment with a physician. “There’s a lot that physicians can do to treat arthritis, earlier better than later,” says Carter V. Multz, M.D., FACP, FACR, a rheumatologist on staff at O’Connor Hospital. “Recent medications can retard or halt the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, and anti-inflammatory medication can reduce the pain and swelling in osteoarthritis.”
