How to Spot Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Early and Ease Joint Pain + Stiffness
Plus find out if cracking your knuckles really can actually cause arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is on the rise. In fact, a recent global study in Lancet Rheumatology predicts that RA cases are expected to increase by more than 80 percent over the next 26 years. And considering that women are two to three times more likely to develop RA than men, they’ll bear the brunt of that spike. The first step toward treating the condition? Recognizing the early rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that signal something’s amiss.
While the condition can affect anyone, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis typically first appear around age 60 to 70. And although RA can’t be cured, recent advancements mean it’s treatable. And people are much more likely to achieve remission if they start working with a specialist early. Here’s what to know.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
“Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition mainly affecting the joints,” says Adewale Adebajo, PhD, a consultant rheumatologist based at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who specializes in psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.
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RA is an autoimmune disease, adds Bryant R. England, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “Instead of the immune system doing its main job of fighting off infections, the immune system decides to start attacking the person’s own body, especially the joints.”
Common rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are typically caused by the inflammation underlying the condition, Dr. Adebajo says. They’re often bilateral (meaning it affects the joints on both sides of the body) and distal (meaning occurring in places far away from the center of the body, such as the small joints in the fingers and toes).
According to Dr. Adebajo and Dr. England, common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Red, tender or swollen joints
- Joint pain
- Stiffness, which may be worse in the morning or after periods of rest or inactivity
- Difficulty using the affected joints or loss of motion
- The sensation of walking on pebbles or gravel
- Nonspecific symptoms including fatigue and fever
These rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may start out as mild, and the smaller joints of the fingers and toes may be affected first. As RA progresses, the symptoms may get more severe and commonly affect larger joints including wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles and hips.
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are largely the same between men and women, Dr. England says. But they may appear in different places. For instance, men “are more likely to develop some features of RA in locations other than the joints, such as RA-associated lung disease,” he says.
Is rheumatoid arthritis genetic?
You can be genetically predisposed to RA, and in fact researchers have found a specific gene that’s associated with the condition, Dr. Adebajo says. It’s known as the HLA-DRB1 gene, which influences the immune system’s ability to recognize the body’s proteins, according to research in the journal Cells.
However, “Genetics alone do not cause RA,” Dr. England says. “What this means is that our genes (DNA) may put us at risk for developing specific immune responses to different things we are exposed to in our environment, which then could lead to RA.”
“A person with a first-degree relative affected by RA has about a three-fold increased risk of developing RA,” he adds. “But since RA only affects about 0.5 percent of people to begin with, most people with a first-degree relative of RA will not develop RA.”
Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?
While your genetics play a role in your risk of developing the condition, there’s one thing that doesn’t lead to RA: knuckle cracking, Dr. Adebajo says. This is a common myth, but experts have studied and dispelled it. “Research actually suggests that knuckle cracking doesn’t predispose you to any type of arthritis,” he says.
What can increase your risk of the condition?
- Smoking. “Cigarette smoking triggers production of antibodies for RA, particularly among people with genetic risk,” Dr. England says. Check out our expert-backed tips for quitting smoking here.
- Estrogen. One reason women are more likely than men to develop RA is because of estrogen, Dr. Adebajo says. This hormone, which is found in higher levels in women, affects the immune system and inflammation. A study in Frontiers in Medicine found that declining estrogen levels during menopause seems to worsen rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
- Lifestyle habits. Lower diet quality, obesity, physical inactivity, certain viral infections, other occupational/inhaled exposures and periodontitis have all also been linked to a higher risk of RA, Dr. England says.
How rheumatoid arthritis is treated
While RA is not currently curable, it is treatable. Currently, there are many treatment options to help people manage rheumatoid arthritis symptoms like pain, swelling and stiffness.
Most of these drugs “target specific parts of the inflammatory process, particular cells and help switch [it] off,” Dr. Adebajo explains. “We aren’t quite able to talk about a cure, but we are definitely able to talk about remission. There are people who go into remission basically forever.”
That means their symptoms are controlled, but if they were to stop taking their medication, the symptoms would return, Dr. England adds. But that may change in the future, he says: “There are some exciting treatments on the horizon that we hope may lead to RA cures.”
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