Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Symptoms of osteoarthritis include the following:

• Pain in the joint

• Most commonly affected joints are those of the knee, hip, hand, or spine
• Pain usually increases when the joint is used or stressed
• Pain is usually decreased by resting the joint
• May be described as a dull, achy pain or a sharper, stabbing sensation

• Stiffness

• Stiffness can make everyday activities difficult, such as leaning down to pick something up, putting on shoes, opening a jar, walking, or climbing stairs.
• Stiffness occurs first thing in the morning is common, usually lasting under 30 minutes after you resume activity.
• Stiffness after any period of inactivity is common (such as after sitting still for a couple of hours in a movie theater or on an airplane).
• Stiffness decreases your range of motion, so that you can’t bend or unbend a joint as far as you normally could.

• You may have a feeling of instability in the joint. For example, your knee may feel as if it is going to buckle underneath you.

• You may feel or hear a grating or creaking sound when you bend or unbend your joint.

• Your joint may develop an abnormal appearance:

• It may appear inflamed, red, swollen.
• It may appear misaligned or misshapen.

References:

Arthritis Foundation website. Available at: http://www.arthritis.org/ .

Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 21st ed. W.B. Saunders Company; 2000.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website. Available at: http://www.niams.nih.gov/ .

Manek NJ, Lane NE. Osteoarthritis: current concepts in diagnosis and management. American Family Physician. 2000;51(6). Available at: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000315/1795.html.