Why does osteoarthritis cause stiffness

Osteoarthritis is caused by mechanical wear and tear on joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own immune system attacks the body's joints. It often affects small and large joints on both sides of the body symmetrical , such as both hands, both wrists or elbows, or the balls of both feet. Symptoms often begin on one side of the body and may spread to the other side.

Symptoms begin gradually and are often limited to one set of joints, usually the finger joints closest to the fingernails or the thumbs, large weight-bearing joints hips, knees , or the spine. Morning stiffness usually lasts less than 1 hour. Stiffness returns at the end of the day or after periods of activity.

For more information, see the topics Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Anne C. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. As OA worsens, bony spurs or extra bone may form around the joint.

The ligaments and muscles around the joint may become weaker and stiffer. With OA, your joints may become stiffer and harder to move over time. You may notice a rubbing, grating, or crackling sound when you move the joint. Stiffness due to OA often lasts for 30 minutes or less.

It can last more than 30 minutes if there is inflammation in the joint. It often improves after activity, allowing the joint to "warm up. During the day, the pain may get worse when you are active and feel better when you are resting. As OA gets worse, you may have pain even when you are resting. And it may wake you up at night. Blood tests are not helpful in diagnosing OA. They can be used to look for alternative conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout.

OA cannot be cured, but OA symptoms can be controlled. OA will most likely get worse over time though the pace with which this occurs varies from person to person.

You can have surgery, but other treatments can improve your pain and make your life much better. Although these treatments cannot make the OA go away, they can often delay surgery or make your symptoms mild enough to not cause significant problems.

You can buy these medicines without a prescription. It is recommended that you do not take more than 3 grams 3, mg of acetaminophen a day. If you have liver disease, talk with your provider before taking acetaminophen. Duloxetine Cymbalta is a prescription medicine that can also help treat long-term chronic pain related to OA.

Injections of steroid medicines often provide significant short to medium-term benefit from the pain of OA. Staying active and getting exercise can maintain joint and overall movement. Ask your provider to recommend an exercise routine or refer you to a physical therapist. Water exercises, such as swimming, are often helpful. If the pain from OA gets worse, keeping up with activities may become more difficult or painful.

Making changes around the home can help take stress off your joints to relieve some of the pain. If your work is causing stress in certain joints, you may need to adjust your work area or change work tasks. Physical therapy can help improve muscle strength and the motion of stiff joints as well as your balance. If therapy does not make you feel better after 6 to 12 weeks, then it likely will not be helpful. Massage therapy may provide short-term pain relief, but does not change the underlying OA process.

Make sure you work with a licensed massage therapist who is experienced in working on sensitive joints. It also bears a lot of your weight. Hip osteoarthritis is equally common in men and women. Osteoarthritis of the hands usually occurs as part of the condition nodal osteoarthritis. This mainly affects women and often starts around the time of the menopause. It usually affects the base of your thumb and the joints at the ends of your fingers, although other finger joints can also be affected.

The bones of your spine and the discs in between are often affected by changes that are very similar to osteoarthritis. In the spine, these changes are often referred to as spondylosis. Read more about osteoarthritis of the spine. Osteoarthritis of the foot generally affects the joint at the base of your big toe. However, osteoarthritis of the mid-foot is also quite common. The ankle is the least commonly affected part of the foot. When it is affected, it often follows either a single serious injury or a number of more minor injuries.

The jaw, or temporomandibular joint, is one of the most frequently used joints in the body and the cartilage in this joint is particularly prone to wear. Osteoarthritis in the jaw often starts at an earlier age than in other joints.

The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is usually based on:. In rare cases, an MRI scan of the knee can be helpful to identify other possible joint or bone problems that could be causing your symptoms. If your arthritis becomes severe and is causing long-term problems, your GP may refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon to consider joint surgery or to a pain management programme.

These include:. Many people worry that exercising will increase their pain and may cause further joint damage. However, while resting painful joints may make them feel more comfortable at first, too much rest can increase stiffness.

If pain makes it difficult to get started with exercise, you could try taking a painkiller such as paracetamol beforehand. The most important thing is to start gently and build up gradually. You may want to give our exercises for healthy joints a try. These exercises involve taking joints through a range of movement that feels comfortable and then smoothly and gently easing them just a little bit further.

These are exercises performed against some form of resistance to strengthen the muscles that move and support your joints. You could use light weights, a resistance band or try exercising in water.

This means any physical activity that raises your heart rate and gets you breathing more heavily. This type of exercise burns off calories, so it can help if you need to lose a bit of weight. It can also improve your sleep and help to reduce pain. Walking, cycling and swimming are all excellent forms of exercise for people with arthritis. Or you could try an exercise bike or cross-trainer. Walking laps in the shallow end of a swimming pool is also great for strengthening leg muscles.

Hydrotherapy or aquatic therapy pools are warmer than normal swimming pools. The warmth is soothing and relieves pain and stiffness, while the water supports your weight but still offers some resistance for muscle-strengthening exercises.

The best way of losing weight is by following a healthy, balanced diet. Gradually increasing how much physical activity you do will also help with weight loss. Be cautious about any diet that claims to cure arthritis or that suggests cutting out a particular food group completely. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs are available as creams, gels or patches that you apply directly to the skin. Ibuprofen and diclofenac gels are available over the counter at pharmacies and supermarkets.

Others, such as ketoprofen, are only available on prescription. Creams, gels or patches work well for some joints, especially the knees and hands, but may not work as well for joints such as the hips, which lie deeper below the skin. Capsaicin cream is made from the pepper plant capsicum and is an effective painkiller. It needs to be applied regularly three times each day. Paracetamol is usually recommended as the safest type of pain relief tablet to try first.

NSAID tablets are generally stronger pain-relievers than paracetamol. The most common is ibuprofen, which is widely available over the counter in pharmacies and supermarkets. Examples of PPIs are lansoprazole and omeprazole. Your doctor may suggest using:.

Injections of a long-acting steroid may be given directly into a particularly painful joint, especially the knee or thumb. The injection often starts to work within a day or so and may improve pain for several weeks or months. Steroid injections are mainly used for very painful osteoarthritis, or for sudden, severe pain caused by crystals in the joint. A TENS machine sends electrical pulses to your nerve endings through pads placed on your skin.

It produces a tingling sensation and is thought to relieve pain by altering pain signals sent to the brain. The research evidence on the effectiveness of TENS is mixed, but some people do find it helpful. A physiotherapist will be able to advise on the types of TENS machine available and how to use them. Or they may be able to loan you one to try before you buy. Injections of hyaluronic acid have sometimes been used as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee.

The treatment is, however, available privately. Glucosamine is found naturally in the body in structures such as ligaments, tendons and cartilage. Supplements are usually produced from crab, lobster or prawn shells, although shellfish-free types are available.

Most trials have used a dose of mg three times a day, and the evidence seems to suggest glucosamine sulphate may be more effective than glucosamine hydrochloride.

The research evidence is limited to animal studies that suggest it might help to slow the breakdown of cartilage. Fish oils and fish liver oils are widely believed to be good for the joints. Supplements made from fish livers often contain a lot of vitamin A, which can be harmful in large amounts. Supplements made from the whole fish usually contain less vitamin A, so are safer if you find you need a high dose of fish oils to get any benefit from them.

There are a number of different treatments available and they can generally be used alongside prescribed or over-the-counter medicines. Private health insurance companies may also cover some types of therapy. However, most people pay for their own treatment, which can be costly. Some therapies make bold claims — if you have any doubts, ask what evidence there is to back up these claims.

The Institute for Complementary and Natural Medicine can help you find a qualified therapist.