Occasional joint pain is not unusual, especially if you are active and participate in strenuous activities such as running. This unwanted pain can be caused by injuries to the muscles, tendons and ligaments around the joints, or by tendonitis, sprains or strains.
But if you start to feel aches, pains and stiffness in your joints on a regular basis, and especially if the pain occurs in your joints, you may have arthritis.
What are the early signs of arthritis?
Here are some early arthritis symptoms that should prompt you to see a doctor:
1. Joint pain that is persistent and gets worse
Joint pain is no longer simply the result of a day of overexertion. When the pain starts to spread and appears after very light activities such as walking, getting up from a chair, or even resting, it is time to question it.
The pain of arthritis is characterized by a dull, persistent ache that tends to get worse over time. At first, it is just a feeling of discomfort, but gradually it can seriously affect daily walking and movement.
2. Joints are swollen and more sensitive than usual
Arthritis not only causes pain but also makes the joints red and swollen, and can be slightly hot to the touch. This condition occurs when the synovial membrane in the joint is inflamed, increasing secretion and creating pressure in the joint.
The patient will feel a distinct pain when lightly touched or moved. In particular, in acute inflammation, moving the joint is almost impossible because of the severe pain and unusual swelling.
3. Stiff joints in the morning or after sitting for a long time
Another typical sign of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, is a feeling of stiffness in the morning. When you first wake up, you may feel difficulty moving your joints, and it takes a while for massage or gentle walking for the stiffness to gradually subside.
This feeling can also appear after you sit for a long time, such as when working in an office or watching TV. This is a warning sign that the joint system is no longer operating as smoothly as before.
4. Crackling or grating when moving the joint
If you hear a “crackling” or “crackling” sound every time you bend your knee, rotate your wrist or move your hip, it could be a sign that the cartilage in the joint has worn away.
When the cartilage is lost, the two ends of the bones begin to rub against each other, creating a distinct grinding sound and feeling when moving. This condition is common in osteoarthritis, which is mainly related to aging and wear and tear of the joint over time.
5. Pain in joints that have been injured
Joint areas that have been damaged by accidents, collisions or excessive exercise are at risk of developing arthritis after a while. The pain can return silently, without a clear cause and become more intense. Especially for people who have suffered a dislocation, sprain or fracture near the joint, post-traumatic osteoarthritis is common if not properly rehabilitated.
6. Pain appears in the groin instead of the hip
One thing that is easily confused is that when the hip joint is damaged, the pain does not always manifest on the outside of the hip but radiates down to the groin or inner thigh. This makes many people not realize that they have a problem with the hip joint. The pain can appear when walking, climbing stairs or even standing for a long time.
Hip arthritis often progresses silently, and pain in the groin is one of the important early warning signs.
7. Pain on both sides of the joint is the same
Rheumatoid arthritis is often characterized by symmetrical manifestations, that is, pain in the same joint on both sides of the body. For example, if you feel pain and stiffness in your right wrist, it is likely that your left wrist is also affected.
This symmetrical pain is often accompanied by fatigue, loss of appetite or a low-grade fever in the afternoon, a sign that the body’s immune system is attacking its own joints.
8. Stiffness and pain in small joints in the hands and feet
Unlike pain caused by trauma, arthritis often starts in small joints such as the knuckles, wrists and feet. A sharp pain when making a fist or bending your toes in the morning is a clear sign.
These joints may be slightly swollen, hot and make you feel like your limbs have lost their inherent flexibility. In the early stages, patients often ignore it because they think it is just normal muscle fatigue, until the symptoms spread and affect their daily mobility.
