What Does Arthritis Feel Like?

Blue-lit close-up of a gloved hand beside a person's head
Person holding a stiff, aching joint in the hand

Nearly 40 million Americans or one in every seven people have arthritis. It can affect people of all ages, but it most often comes on as a person gets older. Arthritis usually causes stiffness, pain, and fatigue. The severity can vary from person to person and even from day to day. For some people, only a few joints are affected and the impact may be small. In other people, the entire body system may be affected. The joints of the body are the location of much of the pain in arthritis. Many types of arthritis show signs of joint inflammation: swelling, stiffness, tenderness, redness, or warmth. These joint symptoms may be accompanied by weight loss, fever, or weakness.

Is it Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis?

When these symptoms last for more than a few weeks, inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be the cause. RA is an inflammatory condition in which your immune system attacks the tissues in your joints. It causes pain and stiffness that worsen over several weeks or a few months. And joint pain isn't always the first sign of rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes the pain begins with flu-like symptoms of fatigue, fever, weakness, and minor joint aches. RA is a common type of arthritis that causes symptoms such as misshapen finger joints, pain, and stiffness.

Degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. OA is when the joints experience wear-and-tear as you age. This causes swelling and inflammation in the joints. Pain from OA will exhibit itself as stiffness, burning, swelling, inflammation, or a stuck feeling in the joint. If you have osteoarthritis, you can take steps to protect your joints, ease discomfort, and improve mobility.

Mild morning stiffness is common in OA and often goes away after just a few minutes of activity. Sometimes people with OA also notice the same type of stiffness during the day after resting their joints for an hour or so. In RA, however, morning stiffness doesn't begin to improve for an hour or longer. Occasionally, prolonged joint stiffness in the morning is the first symptom of RA.

How Does Arthritis Feel?

Many things affect how your joints and muscles feel. Pain may be caused by swelling, joint damage, muscle tightness, or spasms. Muscles hurt after doing exercise or activities you aren't used to. Sometimes when the joint is damaged simple activities stress the joint.

It is healthy for you to keep active and move your joints. If you do not move a joint regularly, the muscles around it weaken and/or become tight. The joint can stiffen or even freeze. When you do try to move the joint and muscles hurt because they have been still for so long. Arthritis can make it hard to do the movements you rely on every day for work or taking care of your family.

Other arthritis symptoms may include pain and swelling in the hand and toes, and a reduced range of motion in these affected joints. The fingers or toes may look swollen or thick. Some people may experience changes in the nails, such as small indents or discoloration. Some people may also notice crepitus. This is the cracking sensations that occur as the joints move.

Everyday Comfort Measures

  • Applying heat to soothe and relax the joints.
  • Applying ice packs to the sore area.
  • Over-the-counter pain relievers, which can bring short term relief.
  • Using a topical joint care lotion like Flexcin's Motion Lotion, which absorbs quickly and supports everyday joint comfort.
  • Exercise and stretching, which are an essential part of living well with arthritis. Low impact exercises, such as swimming and cycling, can help improve strength and flexibility in the joints.
  • Your doctor may also recommend low impact exercises near the affected joints.
  • Surgery, which your doctor may discuss if the symptoms are leading to deformity.
  • Taking a quality joint supplement, which may help support joint structure and everyday joint comfort.

Joint support supplements may help support joint mobility, a healthy inflammatory response, cartilage and joint structure, everyday flexibility, and the lubricating fluids in the joints.

How Flexcin Supports Everyday Joint Comfort

With ingredients like cetyl myristoleate (CM8) and more familiar joint-support ingredients like glucosamine, MSM, bromelain, and collagen, Flexcin is a daily supplement that may help support mobility, a healthy inflammatory response, and cartilage and joint structure. Flexcin Motion Lotion is a topical joint care lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin over the joint and supports everyday joint comfort.

At Flexcin we have been making all-natural joint care supplements since the year 2000, and have helped thousands of people take a more active role in their joint health. We provide US-made supplements with ingredients chosen to support a healthy inflammatory response and to support cartilage and joint structure. And, we offer it at a no-risk 90-day trial. If you try Flexcin and are unsatisfied with the results after taking it for three months, simply return the empty bottles for a full refund less shipping and handling.

Flexcin joint care supplement

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results vary. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement.