Stiff finger joints every morning. Is it arthritis?

Question

Hello doctor,

I get stiff joints in the fingers (like an elastic effect) when I get up from bed in the morning. I also get ankle pain. After a few movements, I am fine. I consulted a rheumatologist who mentioned that it is psoriatic arthritis. My joint pain is very mild and comes only when I am idle for a long time. Please let me know why I have this joint pain and what type it is.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I went through your post. You have inflammatory joint pain which is causing stiffness of the joints once they are rested. This is called the jelly phenomenon. If you have psoriasis or any member in your family has psoriasis then one can call it psoriatic arthritis. The condition generally starts before 40 years of age. However, your age is 44. So, you will need an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the sacroiliac joints to confirm the diagnosis and a power Doppler of any joint which has swelling to confirm arthritis Tests like anti-CCP (cyclic citrullinated peptide), ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), RF (rheumatoid factor) will be needed to rule out rheumatoid arthritis.

Thank you.