What are the Symptoms of Arthritis?

Different types of arthritis have different symptoms. In general, people with most forms of arthritis have pain and stiffness in their joints.

Osteoarthritis usually develops slowly and can occur in any joint, but often occurs in weight bearing joints. Other symptoms include:

• Joints may ache after physical work or exercise
• Most often occurs in the hands, hips, knees, neck or low back
• Joint pain, swelling and tenderness
• Stiffness after getting out of bed
• A crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone

Not everyone with osteoarthritis feels pain, however. In fact, only a third of people with x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis report pain or other symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joint lining. This inflammation causes warmth, redness, swelling and pain around the joints. A person also feels sick, tired and sometimes feverish. Rheumatoid arthritis generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern. If one knee or hand is affected, the other one is also likely to be affected.