What Does Arthritis Feel Like?

Several types of arthritis exist and they all affect the joints of the body. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the joints wears away and the bones rub together, which causes discomfort. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints. There is no cure for arthritis but there are certain things you can do to ease the discomfort.

Stiffness

Whenever the joints rub together you feel pain and stiffness. A stiff joint is hard to move or bend.

Joint Pain

Arthritis feels like someone has wedged something in your joint that won't allow it to bend.

Knee Pain

If you have arthritis in your knee you can feel a sharp pain that begins to throb and pulsate. The sensation feels like a needle is punctuating the skin and protrudes to the bone.

Hands

If you try to make a fist it feels as though you are trying to close your hand while you are clutching a baseball. The hand will not close completely.

Hip

If you have arthritis in your hip you get the sensation or feeling that one leg is shorter than the other. You begin to limp because the stinging sharp pain in the hip joint makes you lean on one leg more than the other.

Resources

• Types of Arthritis