Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect different joints across the body. This condition can be debilitating, as it can create intense joint pain. You might experience a lot of other rheumatology symptoms including swelling, stiffness, inflammation, reduced mobility of joints, etc. RA affects people differently, so the joints affected by this condition can greatly vary. However, there are certain joints that are commonly affected by this condition. Some of them are listed below:
Knees
This is one of the common joints affected by RA. As RA affects both parts of the body equally, you can experience pain in both of your knees.
When you are having an RA flare, engaging in intense exercises and other stressful activities can make your condition worse thereby making the knee pain severe. Additionally, following a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight can increase knee pain, inflammation, and stiffness in people suffering from RA.
If RA affects your knees, make sure to engage in low-impact exercises regularly. Regular exercises and maintaining a healthy body weight can help to control the pain and stiffness in your knees. Exercises can help to strengthen the muscles along with boosting the flexibility and mobility of your joints.
Forefoot
Other commonly affected joints by rheumatoid arthritis include the ball of the foot and joints in the toes. As there is a lot of small joints in your feet, they can be often affected by this condition. People suffering from RA can eventually develop hammertoes, claw toes, and bunions.
If RA affects your forefoot, it is better to avoid high heels and tight shoes that squeeze the toes. When choosing your shoes, make sure to select one that perfectly fits your foot. If the foot pain is intense, taking proper rheumatism treatment can help to relieve it.
Ankle Joints
The pain resulting from RA can be present in both of your ankles. High-impact exercises can make the pain in your ankle joints worse during a flare. It is better to stick to low-impact exercises like cycling and swimming to improve the ankle pain during flare-ups.
If RA affects the joints in your ankles, then wearing shoes with inserts and braces that support the ankle might help to reduce the pain and improve mobility.
RA can also affect your wrists, fingertips, and many other joints. If you are suffering from this condition, make sure to get the right treatment as soon as possible to prevent its progression.
