I bet you hear this all the time - do i have arthritis?

snowathlete

Hi,
Im new here, i wonder if someone can guide me?

I am 31, male, and have had stiff joints for at least a decade. My knees in particular have always creaked, especially when i bend down, i feel it and hear it. It is uncomfortable.
About two years ago i started getting stiffness and some pain in my left knee, and my left fingers which feel very tight and one is especially bad and clicks when i bend it.
I went to my GP who dismissed it as my knee wasnt swollen or hot. Its got worse recently. It is not dreadful, but it is there and id rather it wasnt and it seems to be getting worse.
It did get very warm last night but otherwise it hasnt. I got it tonight too and it feels sore. It does feel warm inside my knee, but to the touch my knee is normal.

Other info that may be relevant: I have ME/CFS, because of that I cant exercise and so I am a little overweight and have weakened muscles.

Thanks for reading and for any help.

helpline_team

Dear Snowathlete,

Thank you for your enquiry to Arthritis care. Noisy cracking sounds in joints are not conclusive evidence of arthritis, but it's understandable that you might want to know more especially given that you are mentioning pain and stiffness at times. Other than seeing your GP you might decide to consult a physiotherapist - they do a lot of important preventative work with people. What the current medical information is very clear about is that keeping to your healthy weight and keeping active play an important protective role against arthritis. There are some gentle exercise moves that may be suitable for you individually, that a physiotherapist could go through with you.

If you'd like some more information or some support, do give us a ring or Private Message us your name and address and we'll post you some information.

I hope that is helpful

Guy

snowathlete

Thanks for your reply Guy. A visit to the physio is probably a good idea.