Does rheumatoid arthritis always cause visible swelling in the fingers?
I’ve heard thаt rheumatoid arthritis аlmοѕt always ѕtаrtѕ іn thе fingers аnd causing visible swelling аnd redness. In terms οf fingers, іѕ іt possible fοr a person wіth RA tο јυѕt hаνе stiffness аnd pain іn thе fingers wіth lіttlе tο nο swelling? Alѕο, hοw οftеn dο people wіth Juvenile RA recover?
Usually there’s some visible swelling in the joints, but it can definitely be subtle. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joint at the knuckles, and the the middle joint in the finger, but not the joint at the tip of the finger. The typical pattern of stiffness is in the morning, taking an hour+ and getting up and moving to get rid of it
There are effective treatments at all ages. These include methotrexate, plaquenil, imuran, steroids, and injectable biologic medications. These can cause remission in some patients, and in those without complete recovery there is a definite increase in quality of life. It also slows the progression of the disease and reduces the need for future surgery. That being said, it is a bumpy course and has its ups and downs.