Question
QUESTION: Hello - I am 37 years old and had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as a child. After I recovered, I was only ever bothered with occasional joint pain, but now that I am getting older the joint pain is becoming very bothersome. I find it is definitely weather related especially with the changing seasons. If I get a little cold or chilled during the day, the next morning, I awake to extremely painful and throbbing joints (especially my hips). As I continue to wake, the pain lessens and as I get up and start moving around it almost completely subsides. The severe pain and throbbing sensation is always at its worst just as I am waking so I wondered if this had something to do with increasing circulation as I begin to wake and the fluid filled joint tissue? Just wondering if others have this problem or if there is some scientific explanation.

ANSWER: Wendy

This is a very common problem with those who have arthritis. I experience it almost daily. Joints always get stiffer and more painful with lack of use even if it is just a few hours. That is why the number one recommended treatment of arthritis is exercise.

Increased circulation does not effect the fluid inside the joint but can help with pain in the soft tissue around the joint.

Rusty

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the reply! I have been to my doctor but blood tests do not indicate that I have arthritis today. (I know as a child I had a blood test that diagnosed my rheumatoid arthritis). If what I am experiencing is age-related and/or weather-related arthritis how is it usually diagnosed? and would it have been related to having juvenile rheumatoid arthritis? Thanks again!

Answer
There is really not such thing as weather related arthritis. If you have arthritis then changes in the weather can effect it. Age related arthritis is osteoarthritis. It is diagnosed with x-rays that show damage developing to the joint. If it is an autoimmune type of arthritis then it can be very hard to diagnose since you can have diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis and have all of your test come back normal. The best thing is to keep working with your doctors until you can finally get a diagnosis. This can take some time but it can take diligence on your part because many doctors want to see clear cut results even when the main way of diagnosing autoimmune diseases is based on the symptoms.

Rusty