The primary and most commonly recognized symptoms of osteoarthritis include stiffness and pain within your joints. These symptoms often make it hard for individuals to move properly, or enjoy activities that they may have previously taken part in before the condition began. Often, osteoarthritis symptoms are known to come and go in waves, and this fluctuation may be attributed to external factors, such as changes in the weather, or activity levels. In more severe cases, osteoarthritis symptoms can develop as a continuous problem.
Some of the most common issues to recognize include:
– Tenderness within the joints
– Increased stiffness and pain after periods in which you have not made any movement involving the joints. For example, if you spend a lot of time at work sitting down at a desk and have to get up to get a drink, you may suffer from pain and stiffness.
– Your joints appearing somehow larger than normal.
– You suffer from a crackling or grating feeling in your joints when you move them.
– The movement of your joints is now limited.
– Your muscles begin to reduce, or you suffer signs of weakness.
Osteoarthritis is capable of affecting all kinds of joints, but the areas that are mostly to suffer from osteoarthritis symptoms, include the hips, knees, and hands.
Osteoarthritis in the Knees
If you are experiencing osteoarthritis symptoms in the knees, it is likely that both of them will have osteoarthritis after some time, unless the issue had been caused by an injury or any external factor. Your knees are likely to be more painful when you walk, especially when you are walking at an incline, up a hill, or the stairs. Sometimes, you may find that your knees actually buckle, and make it hard for you to stretch your legs completely.
Osteoarthritis in the Hips
When you experience osteoarthritis within your hips, you will generally suffer from problems when it comes to moving the hip joints. Most commonly, people will complain of struggling when they attempt to put on their socks and shoes, as well as attempting to go in and out of a car. Usually, you will experience instances of pain around your groin area, or towards the outside of the hip. This pain is worsened by movement, and it can also cause problems even when you are asleep or resting.
Osteoarthritis in the Hands
In the hands, osteoarthritis can effect three primary areas: the base of the thumb, the middle joints of your fingers, and the joints closest to your fingertips. People with this issue will often find that they suffer from swollen fingers that are painful and regularly feel stiff and difficult to move. Over time, chances are that the pain in your hands could decline by itself, and later disappear entirely. However, many patients have observed that once the pain in their hands has subsided, the swelling and bumps they initially experienced can remain to be a problem for the foreseeable future. What’s more, you may find that your fingers bend awkwardly sideways at the affected joints.
