I experience this every day. My feet and ankles are always in pain and I have never had any visible swelling. I'm not sure if it is normal but you are not alone.

Usually my painful flare reactions that really limit range of motion - have no swelling.

I also get flare reactions where the joint suddenly double in size and turn red - without any pain or stiffness.

Yep, same for me too. I have never had dramatic swelling. I never have in my life, even with sprained ankles, etc. It is subtle and only me and my boyfriend notice. Of course, he sees my feet almost as much as I do, and had know me loooong before this RA thing showed up. Like Kelly of RA Warrior, I have "skinny" feet. They're normally fairly bony. When they're swollen they look like someone else's normal feet.

I have lots of feet photos on my cell phone, trying to prove this to my rheumy. It shocks a lot of people. Well, that's what they get for peering over my shoulder.

Secret, if something is swollen enough to prevent movement, the lack of range-of-motion may keep it from hurting as much.

confoosed, I've had the same problem with my hands. i was whining to my rheumy a couple of months ago about how I'd really like to be able to wear my wedding ring. She said my hands aren't swollen! I should take family photos. I have relatives that have had to have shoes custom-made to fit their ski-like feet!

What was the question?

Sorry, Pain comes in degrees, as interpreted by them what suffers it, BUT... I have pain in joints every day, I rarely have swelling, but I couldn't begine to comapare my pain to others', and it's just there. OK, next question?...

A better answer would be that zI have a dear friend who has RA and Sjrens's, ans got no relief from drugs. She also got no empathy from her doctors at the World Famous Mayo Clinic (as she likes to say), because despite stifness and incredible joint pain, her blood tests tdid not support an RA diagnosis. No soup for ypu! Many years later, this continues, as her internal organs dry up - if you don't know about Sjogren's, read - and she continues to suffer.

So, back to the original quesion... no visible swelling, but heaven help us...

I have never had much swelling but had bad pain.

good conversation secret. :)

sorry about your pain levels.

for me it is a sometimes correlation but not a necessary one. that aint a waffle. it's just the answer is both.

prednisone under duress for me for my lungs always gives me back my piano hands and slender joints. this lasts long as the high dose steroid does and and as soon as the taper starts, the swelling comes back, worse, commensurate with the speed of the taper.

depot

Yep, tons of pain minus the swelling.
I'll swell but it does not seem to matter. The pain is just as bad without the swelling.
Doctors hyper focus on swelling & blood work.
I don't care what my numbers are or if I'm swollen the pain can be enough to drive me to tears & that's the point.
So many with the exact same story. Surely the doctors know this.
Sammy

Ya know, I get this alot too! My most affected joints are my hands and wrists and most of the time there is no swelling or very little to where I'm about the only one that can see it.

Sometimes I wonder if my dr thinks I'm lying about it. Me and my immediate family thought that there was damage in my right hand because to us, my fingers look more crooked than they have, but according to her my xrays are normal. I told her I was worried about damage and she said she didn't think I'd have any because I really just didn't have the evidence of red, hot, swollen joints...ugh...

I don't normally have swelling. I just got over a flare in my toes and I took pictures for my rheumy because my toes actually swelled this time...I'm sure he'll be delighted to look at pictures of my feet.

Red, hot, swollen: yeah, I've been beaten over the head with that triad, Kris. My horrid, no-good, very bad rheumy wouldn't admit that pink, warm, and swollen meant anything, even though I have classic PsA dactylitis.

Yes secret, you are not going crazy. I have had debilitating pain where I cannot move with taking pain medication and no swelling and no elevation in inflammatory levels. U know the look the doctor gives you when you are complaining and they don't see visible evidence. i just give the look right back and say doctor I am in pain 20/10 and I am miserable. I think the look on my face just tells it all. I have pain management who i see every 3 weeks or so. Since also in NY you cannot get refills on pain medication and I have to use mail order. It's a mess!!!! Hope you are feeling well soon.

Yes, I usually get that in my elbows, where if something touches the elbow it screams pain. And my wrists as well, never any swelling.

I've never had any swelling with any of my joints. I hurt all the time, they just don't swell up.

YES!!!!! I have this everyday...doc says I am lucky that I have no swelling, but he says he can tell when there is inflamation going on..