RA Post: What does RA pain feel like?

RA Post: What does RA pain feel like?

RA pain feels very similar to a broken bone, or badly sprained joint. The pain is deep in whichever joints affected and radiating, often feeling as if it "flowing" alongside the bones. The pain can be dull, stabbing, or sharp; often it feels like shards of glass in the smaller joints, and the dull, deep ache in larger joints for me. F or several years before my first big flare in Aug 2014, I had sat and rubbed with fingers around the patella cap (knee cap) edges, wishing I could rub deeper into the joint. I also would be rubbing my hands and fingers together, trying to soothe away this deep ache.
The ache is sometimes flu-like, especially during flares when more joints are actively annoyed.

Because of the large amounts of swelling and irritation, muscle spasms are quite common. I get them especially on the quad muscle on the outside of the leg. At times, this muscle is so hard it feels like pressing onto a piece of wood. Heat will relieve this to a point, but muscle relaxant medications are longer lasting and more efficient. Movement will help if the spasm is mild, but the stronger spasms do not relax much with movement. If anything the movement makes the muscle spasm worse. 

 Pain will often diminish with gentle, determined movement, as the "stiffness" of swelling is slowly worked out--however, when movement ceases, the stiffness returns. Sometimes this stiffness returns within minutes of no longer being mobile, other times it may be an hour or two. This stiffness often feels "heavy", as if the joints themselves weigh more than the muscles and bones around them.
Most days, stiffness will resolve anywhere from 1/2 hour to 2 hours after getting up...however, some days the stiffness/heaviness does not resolve. 

That is the best description of pain I can think of. Please email me (located on the right side of screen in the lower half of the right panel) with any questions you might have regarding this or any other symptom. All other questions or comments gladly welcomed.