Arthritis - Symptoms

Leola M. Hays

Leola, 78, lives in Montgomery, AL. She has suffered from arthritis for decades, but didn t give up on finding ways to cope with and manage this painful condition. Read on to see how she continues to overcome against the pain in her joints.

What You Need to Know About Chronic Pain Syndrome

Are aches your constant companion? You re not alone. Learn more about coping with chronic pain.

Comedian Matt Iseman Doesn t Let RA Stifle His Laughter

Rheumatoid arthritis doesn't define this funny guy. Learn how Matt is continuing to follow his dreams.

An Introduction to Scoliosis

Simply defined, scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine. Here's how the condition is treated.

Leaky Gut Syndrome and Its Connection to RA

Some research suggests that leaky gut syndrome, or increased intestinal permeability, is implicated in dozens of diseases including arthritis. Could your diet be to blame?

Too Young for Arthritis? Maybe Not

Arthritis doesn't affect just seniors. Children and young adults can develop it as well. But exactly how prevalent is the disease among various group? Read on to find out.

RA Pain: Does Where You Live Matter?

Ongoing research suggests that genetic factors and environmental exposures both play a role in occurrence and symptoms.

Arthritis Pain and Substance P: What's the Connection?

A neurotransmitter known as Substance P may hold the key to unlocking the mystery of arthritis pain.

What's the Difference Between Osteorarthritis and RA?

While their symptoms are similar, these conditions are distinct when it comes to how they initially develop.

Could Pine Bark Extract Help Treat Osteoarthritis Pain?

Are you familiar with this supplement, which may provide relief from osteoarthritis symptoms?

The Link Between Sugar and Osteoarthritis

Curb your sweet tooth, and you just may notice an improvement in your symptoms.

Knee Replacement: Your Pressing Questions, Answered

How long in the hospital? How long until recovered? How do they actually replace a knee? Get straightforward answers to these and other questions.

Hip Replacement: Your Pressing Questions, Answered

How is a hip replaced? What are symptoms after? What's the recovery time? Get straightforward answers to these and other questions.

The Arthritis Registry: Should You Join?

The AIR connects those with arthritis-related conditions to clinical researchers. Here's how to become a part of it.

Arthritis Is Not Just for the Elderly

It's important to know arthritis can strike at any age because early treatment is key.

Living With Invisible Pain

You look well. What are the challenges when you feel anything but on the inside?

RA and Autoimmune Conditions: How Do You Know You Have It?

Learn what your doctor is looking for when she orders a vial of blood to be drawn.

Why Does the Body Feel Pain?

Pain is a communication system, but what is it trying to say? Focus on the different types of pain to uncover its secrets.

How Do You Know if it's Carpal Tunnel?

Is that burning, tingling, pain and numbness in your hands carpal tunnel syndrome? Your doctor can put it to the test.

Everyday Aches or Diagnosed Chronic Pain?

The rigors of daily living make the occasional ache commonplace. But when have you crossed the line to chronic pain?

What Rheumatoid Factor Does and Doesn't Show

RF is a type of antibody produced by your immune system. If your levels are high, you may have rheumatoid arthritis. Or, you may not.

Pain Medication Addiction: Have You Crossed the Line?

This medication can be a blessing and a curse. Here's how to tell if you, or a loved one, have crossed the line into addiction.

Health by the Numbers: Arthritis

Although arthritis can be debilitating, there are a variety of treatment options to help keep symptoms in check. Here's a look at the disease by the numbers.

Massage Therapy for Pain

How could this therapy help you manage your worst pain symptoms?

How to Handle Arthritis on the Job

Learn how to address pain, fatigue, and other obstacles in a way that works for you and your employer.

Can Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Fix Your Back Pain?

If you have ongoing back pain, OMT offers a holistic approach to pain relief that addresses a variety of physical conditions.

Arthritis 101

Learn about the most common forms of arthritis, from causes and symptoms to treatment.

Understanding Adult ADHD Symptoms

It's not always easy to pinpoint ADHD in adults, but spotting the symptoms is the first step toward getting the right diagnosis and treatment.

How Pets Can Help Your Chronic Pain Symptoms

Bringing a pet into your home is a big commitment, but it can come with serious rewards including a potential reduction of your pain.

The Facts About Felty Syndrome

This rare but serious condition can affect the spleen, the liver, and the entire immune system. Find out who s most at risk.

How Does Arthritis Affect the Joints?

Understanding how the disease works can help you better manage your symptoms and identify potential triggers.

How to Talk to Kids About Arthritis

Children have a strong radar for change, and if they don't know what's going on, they can easily become anxious and disturbed. Difficult as it may be, the best thing you can do is communicate information about your condition, and how it affects them, in a way that helps put their minds at ease.

The Risks of Long Term Over-the-Counter Painkiller Usage

If you live with chronic pain, you may need painkilling medications to help you make it through the day-to-day grind. However, if you rely too heavily on over-the-counter (OTC) medications, you may run the risk of developing long term and potentially deadly health risks.

5 Surprising Facts About Arthritis

When it comes to managing arthritis, knowledge is power, and a lot is known about how to treat various forms of this debilitating condition. Here are some key facts.

7 Things Not to Say to Someone in Pain (and 1 Thing You Should Say)

It can be difficult to see someone you care about suffering from pain. You want to help, but you're not sure how. So you cast about for something to say...and you end up making your loved one more upset than before. How did your comment get taken so wrongly? And what should you have said instead?

5 Common Mistakes Arthritis Patients Make

Some arthritis patients aren't doing all they can to help themselves. Do any of these utterances sound familiar?

5 Ways to Ward Off Arthritis-Related Morning Stiffness

If the sound of your alarm clock brings dread because your body won't cooperate with you, try these tips for getting yourself up and moving in the morning.

The Benefits of Strength Training for Chronic Pain

It's perfectly normal to be skeptical of lifting weights, especially if you never have or if you've always been told that you couldn't. Here, we outline how strength training can benefit those suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and common injuries.

Lose Weight and Reduce Pain: An Action Plan

Losing that excess weight and becoming active can reduce and even eliminate your pain. But how can you safely get started? Our plan will get you exercising at almost any weight and with nearly any condition.

Avoiding Nightshade Vegetables May Help Improve Arthritis

Foods from the nightshade plant family contain compounds called alkaloids which some health professionals believe can contribute to joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

Positive Thinking and Medication Efficacy

New studies find that the power of positive thinking applies to how well pain medication works.

Arthrography: What it Can Reveal About Your Joints

A physician who performs an arthrogram will be able to see how badly damaged or deteriorated a joint is and can recommend surgery or other treatment options based upon the results.

What's Causing Your Unexplained Joint Inflammation?

What does it mean when your joints get puffy and sore? If you've had an injury or accident, you know what caused it. But what if it comes out of nowhere? Here, our list for what causes unexplained joint inflammation.

How Arthritis Affects the Lungs

Because rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic illness, it can affect other parts of the body. And the lungs are one area where problems often surface.

How to Handle Arthritis-Related Bone Spurs

Bone spurs are smooth overgrowths of normal bone that can occur anywhere on your body, although they're commonly found on the spine, hips, knees, shoulders, and neck.

TMJ: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, is a jaw disorder that at its most basic may cause minor pain and at its most involved may include myriad overlapping conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Don't Let Chronic Pain Result in Social Isolation

When it hurts to be active, it's hard to stay connected. Read on to break free from pain's captivity.

Rheumatoid Nodules: Frequently Asked Questions

Rheumatoid arthritis can wreak havoc on many parts of the body, including the skin. This can take the form of rheumatoid nodules, bumpy growths under the skin that usually occur near an arthritic joint.

Foot and Ankle Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Arthritis of the foot and ankle can be particularly frustrating because it may hinder your ability to get around.

Foot and Ankle Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Arthritis of the foot and ankle can be particularly frustrating because it may hinder your ability to get around.

What is Lyme Arthritis?

Lyme disease has gotten a lot of press for its rising numbers over the past couple of decades. But what many people don't realize is that if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to serious problems such as arthritis.

Understanding Leaky Gut Syndrome

This condition is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, which allows larger-than-normal particles such as undigested food, microbes, wastes, and toxins to get into the lymphatic system or bloodstream, triggering an immune response that causes inflammation.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: What's the Difference?

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are generally acknowledged to be two separate conditions, but some experts now believe they're actually part of the same underlying disorder.

Tune-In: The Healing Power of Music

The healing power of music has been well known for as long as men and women have played and enjoyed it. But does it really possess healing power for pain patients? Find out here.

Osteoarthritis and Headaches: What's the Connection?

Did you know that joint wear and tear, also known as osteoarthritis, may be the cause of some head pain?

Ankylosing Spondylitis: What Is It, Who Gets It?

Ankylosing spondylitis is an arthritic condition affecting the joints that connect the spinal bones and those that hold the pelvis and spine together.

Autoimmune Diseases: Frequently Asked Questions

In people with autoimmune disease, the immune system malfunctions and the body mistakenly attacks its own cells, causing a host of symptoms.

Sj gren's Syndrome: What Is It, Who Gets It?

This condition occurs when a person's white blood cells damage the glands that produce moisture throughout the body. Dry eyes and mouth are typical symptoms, but the disease can trigger serious malfunctions in major organs.

How to Help Your Partner Understand Your Pain

Chronic pain can take a toll on a relationship, but it's important to remember that your spouse isn't a mind reader and neither are you. Good communication is important in any marriage, but it's crucial in a partnership in which one person has a medical condition.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain-Related Sleep Problems

Poor sleep and chronic pain often go hand-in-hand. While there are a variety of treatments to help you through the night, could Cognitive Behavioral Therapy be the best bet? Find out here.

Raynaud's Phenomenon: More Common Than You Think

Are your fingers and toes often cold, even when the rest of you is warm? If so, you could have a condition known as Raynaud's disease, in which there's an interruption of blood flow to specific areas of the body.

Understanding Degenerative Disc Disease

How do you know if you have degenerative disc disease? If you have low back pain, are in your thirties or forties, and are otherwise healthy, you're a typical sufferer.

Understanding Arthritis of the Eyes

When we think of arthritis, we almost always think of the joints. After all, that tends to be the most common and obvious manifestation of this disease. But did you know that certain types of rheumatoid arthritis can affect your eyes?

The Most Common Types of Arthritis

Although there are more than 100 kinds of arthritis that can affect all parts of the body, the majority of cases include just a handful of varieties.

Decoding the Mystery of Still's Disease

This disease hits people between the ages of 18 and 40, although it can occur in children. It is very much like lupus in its symptoms, which include high fever, rash, muscle pain, and aching, swollen joints.

Connection between RA and Other Autoimmune Conditions

Studies have identified a link between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune diseases. So if you have RA, are you destined for a diagnosis of another autoimmune condition down the road? Quite possibly.

How to Combat Thumb Arthritis

Why do some people get arthritis of the thumb and how can you manage this condition?

Dealing with DISH

DISH occurs when the ligaments that attach to the spine harden, often causing pain and discomfort in the affected areas.

Is the Cold Weather Making You Stiff?

If you're among those who can feel the weather in your bones via stiff, achy joints, here's what you need to know about what may (or may not) be causing it and what you can do to loosen up.

Reactive Arthritis: What You Should Know

Learn all about this type of arthritis, from causes to symptoms to treatments.

Understanding Enteropathic Arthritis

Enteropathic arthritis, a chronic illness that is one of a family of diseases known as spondylarthritides, is associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

4 Q&As about Osteoarthritis

Why does growing older go hand in hand with osteoarthritis? Where does the disease usually manifest itself? Here, get honest answers to four questions surrounding the disease.

Doctors Are Slow to Diagnose Arthritis of the Back

While people with stiff fingers or knees usually have no problem getting doctors to diagnose them with arthritis, sufferers of arthritic back pain typically must wait much longer for their problem to be defined and treated. Why?

Should You See an Orthopedic Surgeon?

How do you know if it's time to visit an orthopedic surgeon? Well, you may want to consider scheduling an appointment if you have pain that won't let up, diminished function, or any deformity of your musculoskeletal system.

Rheumatoid Arthritis May Help Fight Alzheimer s Disease

While a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis can be scary, new research suggests that there's a silver lining to this inflammatory joint disease.

Understanding Arthritis-Related Numbness

While arthritis typically causes pain and stiffness, some sufferers experience numbness in affected areas as well. What causes this numbness, and how can it be alleviated?

Arthritis-Related Jaw Pain? 5 Ways to Beat It

While the jaw may not seem like a likely place to experience arthritis pain, it can and does happen. Here, 5 ways to quell the pain.

Could You Have Fibromyalgia? Signs to Look For

Although no specific test can definitively confirm the condition's presence, certain criteria can help physicians make a proper diagnosis.

RA or Osteoarthritis? How to Tell the Difference

Although there are 100 different types of arthritis, the two most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Their symptoms can be quite similar, so how can you tell the difference?

Can a Multivitamin a Day Keep Arthritis Symptoms at Bay?

Getting the proper amount of vitamins is important for everyone, but particularly so for arthritis sufferers or those at risk for arthritis.

5 Myths About Joint Pain

Don't let misconceptions about joint pain prevent you from doing the things you love or making sound health decisions.

Coping with Unusual Arthritis Symptoms

You're familiar with the most common symptoms of RA, but there are other less frequent ones. Find out how to cope.

Strange Places for Arthritis

When you think of arthritis, you probably think of common joints such as the knees, elbows or fingers. What you may not know is that you can have arthritis in some strange places.

The Difference between Arthritis and Lupus

Learn how to work with your doctor to get a correct diagnosis.

Share Your Story. Become a Health Hero.

Have you or a loved one survived a life-threatening disease? Are you currently struggling with depression, chronic pain, heart disease, or other health-related condition? Have you gone to extraordinary lengths to help someone in a health crisis? If so, we want to hear from you!

Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis? The Differences You Should Know

Five factors that separate fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis: Flare or Flu?

Are your symptoms related to an arthritis flare, or the flu? How to tell.

Side Effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs for Women

Three side effects women may experience from taking rheumatoid arthritis drugs.

Fight Fever in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Fever is one of the many symptoms that can occur in rheumatoid arthritis. Learn why it may happen and ways you can treat it.

The Link between Bone Density and Erosion in Arthritis

What does arthritis have to do with bone loss? Find out here.

Common Fibromyalgia Misdiagnoses

Other illnesses have similar symptoms to fibromyalgia, which can lead to misdiagnosis and treatment. Learn how to tell the difference.

How to Fight Common Side Effects of Arthritis Drugs

Medications used to treat arthritis are very effective, but can cause adverse reactions. Find out how to fight common side effects of arthritis drugs.

10 Ways to Ease Night Pain

Is night pain ruining your after-work activities and sleep? Here, ten ways to relieve it.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Pregnancy: 8 Things You Need to Know

Information and tips about rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis

An overview of the link between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Plus, how to build healthy bones and reduce your risk of this bone-thinning disease that increases your risk of fractures.

Diagnosed With Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis? 5 Facts You Should Know

The news could be hard to swallow. Here, what to expect after a diagnosis of RA.

Could You Have Fibromyalgia?

Although no specific test can definitively confirm the condition's presence, certain criteria can help physicians make a proper diagnosis.

Common Arthritis Myths Debunked

Read on to find out the truth behind six common myths.

Can Cherries Relieve Arthritis Pain?

Studies suggest that these sweet, antioxidant-rich fruits may provide natural pain relief for people living with arthritis.

The 411 on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Information and coping tips for parents and caregivers

Battling Depression When You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis

According to a study conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), people with rheumatoid arthritis are twice as likely to suffer from depression.

Gout: 3 Risk Factors and 10 Foods to Avoid

This painful arthritic condition affects approximately eight out of every 1,000 Americans. Learn about symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Understanding Hip Pain

Hip pain is an increasingly common phenomenon that tends to occur with age. Find out what causes hip pain and what you can do about it.
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