Arthritis Symptoms Hard to Tell with More than 100 Different Types

With over 100 different forms of arthritis, this leads to many different arthritis symptoms.  Certain arthritis signs can and will lead doctors in the right direction.  Many of the common symptoms are:

pain / tenderness in the joints
joint pain
warmth
inflammation indicated by joint swelling
deformity of the joints
redness and stiffness
range of motion is limited
loss of flexibility in the joint
weight loss and much more…

A doctor may be able to diagnose arthritis symptoms by checking the patient’s medical history, a physical, lab work and even x-rays.  Each arthritis symptom can show itself in different ways.  If you have had joint pain, swelling of the joint or around the joint for more than 2 weeks, you should see your doctor.  They will be able to tell if you are in fact are having an arthritis symptom or something else.

Besides ascertaining arthritis symptoms, it is also necessary to ascertain which type of arthritis one is suffering from in order to get started on the best treatment course. Furthermore, arthritis symptoms may appear and disappear suddenly or slowly over time, and can even take the form of sleeplessness, depression, fatigue as well as muscle aches.

Here are some other arthritis symptoms that you should be aware of:

difficulty functioning at home
difficulty functioning at work
difficulty functioning at play because of joint pain
stiffness in the joints
loss of motion of the joint
hard time climbing stairs
arising from a chair
getting out of bed

An immediate visit to a physician will help start the treatment plan and help in protecting the joints as well as lessen arthritis pain. In fact, arthritis pain may be less debilitating than immobility, which is common to arthritis. Acting promptly, when one notices arthritis symptoms, will lead to protecting the joints as too will avoiding excess stress and use of assistive devices to help with mobility problems.

To determine if you are having arthritis symptoms or not, has the doctor ever told you any of the following:

do you have joint pain
aching
swelling / stiffness in and around the joint over the last year
symptoms present for 30 days
pain in the knee or hip when climbing stairs, walking short distance
daily pain
stiffness in hand joint

There are other ways to rate one’s arthritis symptoms, such as: do you have a hard time dressing, is it difficult to stand up from an armless chair, or when you open a car door to help determine whether you are having arthritis symptoms or not.

Arthritis Information – Where to Get It?

There are many people out there that suffer from arthritis.  These people will be glad to know that there is a lot of arthritis information available to them.  The main place that arthritis sufferers should check is with their primary care doctor.

Their doctor is going to be able to tell them which type of arthritis is affecting them.  People to 30-40 years old will have one type of arthritis and they will be receiving different treatment than other people.  Some people who have arthritis in only one location will find their treatment easier, than other people who suffer arthritis pain in multiple locations.  This type of arthritis treatment is more difficult to treat.

Arthritis information on the locations of arthritis will be arthritis information that is available from the personal physician.  This physician will be able to provide some arthritis information on the source of the pain.  This physician will determine the prescriptions for each individual person.  The personal physician will also know the information on the drugs or treatments available to the patients.  Some drugs were very effective in helping those suffering arthritis pains.  These drugs were soon found to have serious side effects.

Multiple Sources of Arthritis Information

Again the best source of arthritis information is the doctor, but there are other sources. 

The drug companies supply a lot of arthritis information because they want people to buy their products.  These companies put advertisements in magazines and on television.

There is also arthritis information available from books in the library or the local bookstore.  Research is continually contributing to arthritis information, and there are many books available with the news.

You can find a lot of arthritis information at many good websites on the internet.   Many of the research institutes have websites that discuss the symptoms and treatments for many different types of ailments.  Some of these websites are provided by the leading research institutes in the world so the information is often the latest available.  This information is often written in plain English so it is easily understood by people without medical backgrounds.

Some of the other sources of arthritis information are the American Arthritis Foundation and also the American Arthritis Association.  Both of these sites will provide some of the latest treatment information available.

If you are suffering from arthritis, you need to find out the most arthritis information that you can.  This is going to help you alleviate some of the suffering from this awful disease.

Who is the American Arthritis Foundation?

The American Arthritis Foundation is the largest, non profit organization that deals with arthritis.  They fund arthritis research and provide information to patients.  It hopes to be the prototype between non profit organizations and corporate America.  The trends are showing that it is better to partner with someone rather than entering into a short term relationship.

Let’s Talk RA Program and More

What has happened is the American Arthritis Foundation developed Let’s Talk RA program with the support of Bristol-Meyers Squibb.  This is to help teach patients to become active participants in managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  They have a free Let’s Talk RA Communication kit that includes:

Communication guide
Health assessment questionnaire
Participant survey
plus additional information from the American Arthritis Foundation

It is important for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis to have a voice in their treatment plan as well as disease management. Taking the trouble of ordering the Let’s Talk RA Communication Kit is the first step and a positive choice in taking control over the disease, and the American Arthritis Foundation encourages active participation in this regard.

Living with the pain of osteoarthritis might be considered as needing to spend of one’s lifetime sitting on the sidelines, and not being able to participate in games. However, people like John Elway, former Denver Bronco player and spokesperson for Game Plan for OA, an American Arthritis Foundation program, show that employing strategies such as those employed by Elway will help control OA as well as help patients achieve their goals.

The American Arthritis Foundation uses sources such as clinical experts; scientists from many different research disciplines and organizations having interest in arthritis and related diseases to compile annual lists of all the highlights in arthritis on a yearly basis. Also, researchers enjoy the support of the American Arthritis Foundation have discovered new pathways that regulate joint destruction associated with inflammatory arthritis.

The American Arthritis Foundation has all the facts having to do with arthritis.  The number of patients suffering from arthritis went up from 35 million to 46 million between the years of 1985 to 2006.  This is a very dramatic increase in arthritis cases.  The American Arthritis Foundation has learned that arthritis is the major health problem for Americans over 15.  Arthritis is second to heart disease as a cause of disability at work.

Newer Entries »