Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Ok so quick background. 48 yr old male history or osteoarthritus upper spine for several years. 2 years or so ago I began to have pain in hands when running a saw or holding small objects such as palm sanders and such. The pain would come on within a few minutes of starting my saw or using a hammer or sander or lawn mowerect. The pain was intensce but last only a few minutes and back to work I would go . My dr thought it was OA Then my hips both sides began turn hurt and again Dr said OA. Several months ago I began to get these lumps on my middle knuckles of my middle and ring finger right hand. Shortly after but less definiative same fingers left hand. I have a history of irregular inflamitory markers . One test bad next not that kind of thing . My Dr after exam of my hands hips toes and elbows finding these bumps on many of the joints both sides of body . After every inflamitory test and xrays of hips back and hands All blood work was normal . Xray of back shows OA hips show bylateral OA of hips and xray of hands show nothing. Yet the bumps are still there and the fingers affected are getting more and more stiff . Now my DR is my GP he has offered to send me to a rumo.. but I trust him. Now a couple of months later hands are incredibly stiff . Hips are steady 5 on scale of 1 - 10 with times upwards of seven . Is there anything I should be aware of with the bylateral nature of my OA and the various Nodules as my dr calls them on several bones. The nodules themselves do not hurt unless I am unfortunate enough to rap my knuckles on say the headboard while tucking in bed sheets . Then they are called my pain buttons . The pain of contact on them is incredible and lasts from 20 seconds to several minutes depending on how hard. My Dr seems to still question a possible RA issue . Is he being overly cautious or is he doing his due dilagence. Thank you all .
Chris
My husband comes from a family with bad OA. He has bumps on his knuckles that make them stiff, but they do not look like RA flares, because they are not! His mom has them, and now our youngest son, who is 33 and did a lot of fighting in hockey, hence the wear and tear damage.
Now I am getting some bumps on the fingers. They are simply a different kettle of fish than RA. They are definitively OA extrusions. Mine are bilateral, but that is because my RA damage, in the end was bilateral.
I do hope you get some answers to your problems. And blood tests are not everything, as some of us well know. I was sero-negative for years, resulting in being undertreated, despite obvious and severe RA flares in 100 joints.
So keep that in mind, but also that a physical exam and X-rays are so important for a diagnosis of RA. I just hope you do not have it, as it is a seriously horrible disease to have.