Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

General information about symptoms of Osteoarthritis: The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible symptoms of Osteoarthritis. This symptom information has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of symptoms of Osteoarthritis. Furthermore, symptoms of Osteoarthritis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of symptoms and whether they are indeed symptoms of Osteoarthritis.

List of symptoms of Osteoarthritis: The list of symptoms mentioned in various sources for Osteoarthritis includes:

• Joint symptoms
  • Joint pain
  • Joint stiffness
  • Joint tenderness
  • Tenderness around joint
  • Joint pain worse with exercise
  • Stiffness
  • Difficulty moving
  • Slow movement
  • Morning stiffness
  • Joint stiffness improves with movement
  • No pain - not everyone gets pain in the joints.
  • Crunching feeling
  • Crunching sound
  • Joint grating sensations
  • Swollen joints
  • Joint locking
  • Joint symptoms worse in cold or damp weather
  • Joint symptoms worse after periods of inactivity
• Other common symptoms:
  • Fever
  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Trouble breathing
  • Rash
  • Itch
• Symptom area depends on the affected joint
• Knee symptoms
  • Knee joint pain
  • Knee stiffness
  • Knee warmth
  • Knee instability
• Hip symptoms
  • Hip pain
  • Hip stiffness
  • Hip warmth
• Spine symptoms
  • Spine joint pain
  • Spine stiffness
  • Spine warmth
• Toe symptoms
  • Toe joint pain
  • Toe stiffness
  • Toe warmth
• Finger symptoms
  • Finger joint pain
  • Finger stiffness
  • Finger warmth
• Ankle symptoms
  • Ankle joint pain
  • Ankle stiffness
  • Ankle warmth

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis:

The Warning Signs of Osteoarthritis

• Steady or intermittent pain in a joint
  
  

• Stiffness after getting out of bed
  
  

• Joint swelling or tenderness in one or more joints
  
  

• A crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone
  
  

• Hot, red, or tender? Probably not osteoarthritis. Check with your doctor about other causes, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  

• Not always pain. Not everyone with osteoarthritis feels pain. In fact, only a third of people with osteoarthritis in their x rays report pain or other symptoms.

Someone who has arthritis of the knee may experience pain, swelling, and a decrease in knee motion. A common symptom is morning stiffness that lessens as the person moves around. Sometimes the joint locks or clicks when the knee is bent and straightened, but these signs may occur in other knee disorders as well. The doctor may confirm the diagnosis by performing a physical examination and examining x rays, which typically show a loss of joint space. Blood tests may be helpful for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, but other tests may be needed too. Analyzing fluid from the knee joint may be helpful in diagnosing some kinds of arthritis. The doctor may use arthroscopy to directly see damage to cartilage, tendons, and ligaments and to confirm a diagnosis, but arthroscopy is usually done only if a repair procedure is to be performed. ²

Osteoarthritis begins when cartilage breaks down, sometimes eroding entirely to leave a bone-on-bone joint in extreme cases. Any joint can be affected, but the feet, knees, hips, and fingers are most common. It may appear in one or two joints and spread no further.³

OA usually affects the hands and the large weight-bearing joints of the body: the knees and hips. Early in the disease, pain occurs after activity and rest brings relief; later on, pain occurs with very little movement, even during rest. ⁴

More symptoms of Osteoarthritis: In addition to the above information, to get a full picture of the possible symptoms of this condition and its related conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by complications of Osteoarthritis, underlying causes of Osteoarthritis, associated conditions for Osteoarthritis, risk factors for Osteoarthritis, or other related conditions.

Medical articles on symptoms: These general reference articles may be of interest:

• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Symptoms and Medical Malpractice

Medical Tools & Articles:

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