4 Signs That Your Pain Could Be Arthritis

It’s Arthritis Awareness Month, time to talk about joint pain. Joint pain has many causes, but arthritis is often the reason. There are some telltale signs that you may have arthritis.

At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland and Delaware, our providers offer diagnostic help and treatment for all types of joint pain, including varying forms of arthritis. Here’s what they want you to know.

Types of arthritis

There are multiple types of arthritis. Depending on the type, location, and frequency of your pain, one of these types could be affecting your joints.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. This degenerative disease is caused by wear-and-tear in your joints over time; it can accelerate in joints used for repetitive work or play or in the location of old joint injuries. For example, you can have OA show up in:

• Shoulders after years of house painting
• Wrists after a career requiring lots of desk work
• A knee due to an old skiing injury
• A hip overworked by playing aggressive impact sports

Besides OA, there are two other main types of arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition that often starts earlier in life than OA. It’s not completely clear what causes RA, but there may be a genetic component. For most people, RA starts in the hands or feet and moves on to other joints.

Crystal arthritis

Less common is crystal arthritis, caused by crystals formed by deposits in the joints. These crystals grow over time and impact nerves and tissue inside the joint.

4 signs your pain could be arthritis

It’s always possible that your joint pain could be caused by another type of problem, especially if all your joints hurt. Causes of full-body joint pain can include conditions like Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, long COVID, or even menopause. 

However, specific signs point to one arthritis form or another causing joint pain.

1. Pain shows up slowly and gets worse as you age

Pain that occurs as you get older and worsens slowly but steadily is often a sign of OA. You may have trouble getting up and down from your chair or climbing stairs if lower joints are involved.

2. Pain flares are accompanied by extreme redness and swelling

Pain that comes on more suddenly, flares, then subsides, and is joined by swelling and marked redness could be associated with RA, especially if you have a close relative with the condition.

3. Pain, redness, and swelling in your big toe joint

A sudden onset of pain in your big toe (or another small joint) that comes on suddenly and intensely, usually in the middle of the night, is often a sign of gout (a type of crystal arthritis).

4. Pain that feels like bones scraping together

If your pain feels like bone grinding or grating on bone, we’re back to potential OA. You might also experience stiffness, cracking, or popping in your joint, plus decreased range of motion.

To learn more or find out if your pain could be arthritis, schedule an appointment at CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center today. Call us at 240-786-1001 or request an appointment online.