Question
Does RA absolutely have to be bilateral?  

I'm being tested because my hands hurt so bad... especially on my right hand.  I am right handed.  

My middle finger is extremely painful and stiff.  Last year an ultrasound was done on my hands showing synovitis and erosion on several of joints on both hands plus a narrowing of medial nerve (I think that is what it said)  Anyway, I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.  

But after an EMG/NCS test, they showed I don't.  My orthopedic surgeon says I do have a mild case of it and to continue to wear my braces at night.

But both of my hands hurt/ache extremely bad.  My thumbs on both hurt the same and all.  But like I said, the worst is my middle finger on my right hand.  

Last year I had a steroid injection in it and that made it feel better.  Then the pain came back and is much worse.  But my middle finger on my left hand doesn't hurt as much.  

So does my left hand have to have the same pain as my right?  

I also have osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia.  And my rheumy has put me on 5mg prednisone.  I go in next week for another ultrasound and had blood drawn last week to test for rheumatoid factor and sed rate.

Thanks for helping!

Answer
Mary,

The term bilateral does not meant the pain and symptoms will be the same on both sides. It only means that the disease effects both sides. Depending out the use of your body, you will see differences in the way RA effects either side of the body. No one sees the same pain or level of damage of the disease from one side to the other.

For more information about RA visit our page on it.

http://arthritis-symptom.com/Rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms/index.htm

Rusty