Swelling without pain

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

islands@volcanomail.com - 10 Jun 2005 13:19 GMT

Hi everyone,
I finally got my 70 year old mom to go to a rheumatologist for her
hands which are deformed at the knuckles (the base of the fingers not
the joints in the middle)because I thought it would help with my
diagnosis of UCTD. Her knuckles are hugely swollen but she says they
don't hurt very much. Is this possible? I have a swollen joint in my
left index finger that hurts like heck and the right thumb knuckle
which sort of aches/burns but I've noticed that I'm also getting
swelling in my other knuckles and it doesn't hurt. I haven't seen any
mention of this when I read about RA.
The rheumatologist said my mother has RA and that it can be in only one
spot on a person's body (in her case, her hands). He said in a way the
lack of pain is not good because she let it go for so long.

Reply to this Message

Mary Z - 10 Jun 2005 14:58 GMT

> Is this possible? I have a swollen joint in my
>left index finger that hurts like heck and the right thumb knuckle
>which sort of aches/burns but I've noticed that I'm also getting
>swelling in my other knuckles and it doesn't hurt.

Yes that often happens to me. I would get considerable swelling but
no pain, but I did get considerable stiffness. -- MZ

Visit my website:
http://www.mzuschlag.com

Reply to this Message

Nann Bell - 10 Jun 2005 16:44 GMT

Very possible, especially depending on a person's individual pain threshold.
My dad had major RA (30+ years) with hands that showed the ravages of years
of disease and went through a variety of joint surgeries for repair and/or
replacement and/or fusion. Had the fatigue bigtime at times. But had very
little pain, even when his hands werre persistently sitff and just wouldn't
do what he wanted. Like your mom, he didn't always pursue the best available
treatments due to his lack of pain. I suppose that means it's a good thing
that I have pain with my arthritis.................

Signature

Nann
remove the Gator cheer to email me
Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare

> Hi everyone,
> I finally got my 70 year old mom to go to a rheumatologist for her
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> spot on a person's body (in her case, her hands). He said in a way the
> lack of pain is not good because she let it go for so long.

Reply to this Message