Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Quiz
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Joint pain
Fatigue
Swollen joints in fingers
Joint inflammation
Hip joint pain
Big toe joint pain
Joint pain and stiffness all over body
Pain in both hands
Ankle pain and swelling without injury
Knee inflammation
Stiff joints
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?
A chronic inflammatory disease where the body's immune system attacks multiple joints, most commonly in the hands and feet. The cause and trigger is unknown.
Typical Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Whole body pain
- Warm hands and feet
- Taking steroids
- Small lumps (pea to bean size) on elbows, head, or buttocks
- Finger pain
- Pain in finger joints
- Knee pain
- Moving the arm / shoulder worsens the pain
Diagnostic Questions for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Do you have pain all over your body?
- Do you have warm hands and feet?
- Are you currently taking steroids?
- Do you feel small lumps on your elbows, head, or buttocks (pea to bean size)?
- Are you experiencing pain in your finger?
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Treatment aims to reduce inflammation and long-term joint damage. Patients may be prescribed immune-suppressing medications and anti-inflammatory medications for pain. Physical exercise is also important for maintaining muscle strength and joint mobility. Smoking cessation and attention to diet are recommended.
Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Kaito Nakamura, MD (Rheumatology)
Dr. Nakamura is a rheumatologist who has practiced in the Ota Nishinouchi Hospital attached to Ota General Hospital, National Health Insurance Matsudo City Hospital, Chiba University Hospital, and the National Health Insurance Asahi Central Hospital.
Content updated on Feb 19, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- My whole body aches and I feel weak
- Hands and feet feel hot
- Body aches and chills
- Hot palms and feet
- Whole body aches no fever
- My whole body hurts
- Limbs feel hot
- Whole body pain
- Warm hands and feet but no fever
- Thumb pain
- Fever with hot hands and feet
- Only hands and feet are hot
- Fingers "catch" on something when I make a fist or open a palm
- Can't move my fingers even though I put in strength
- Clicking sound when opening or closing a fist
See full list
User Testimonials for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Female, 40s
Ubie gave me a direction to go in when looking into possible autoimmune immune symptoms. I found it very helpful. I now plan on booking an appointment and seeing a doctor soon.
(Jun 14, 2025)
Female, 30s
The downloadable symptoms list is a game-changer for me. Also, the suggestions for narrowing down on possible conditions. I found this website to be supremely helpful for me today with what I needed to accomplish. Thank you. I will book an appointment and see a doctor right away.
(Jun 12, 2025)
Female, 50s
A few of the predictions Ubie made based on my symptoms make a lot of sense to me. Especially with the rheumatoid problems I have and the fact I always show a lot of inflammation when I get blood work done.
(May 16, 2025)
Symptoms Related to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Diseases Related to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
FAQs
Q.
Confused by Prednisolone? Why Your Body Is Inflamed + Important Next Steps
A.
Prednisolone is a corticosteroid that quickly calms harmful inflammation from causes like autoimmune disease, asthma or COPD flares, severe allergies, and skin disorders; it controls symptoms but not the root cause, and there are several factors to consider, including side effects, short versus long term use, and the need for a careful taper, so see below to understand more. Next steps covered below include clarifying the diagnosis, tracking symptoms and blood pressure, protecting bones if used longer, reducing infection risk, planning the lowest effective dose with your clinician, and knowing red flag symptoms that need urgent care such as chest pain, sudden vision changes, black or bloody stools, high fever, severe abdominal pain, or severe shortness of breath.
References:
* Vandewalle J, Luypaert A, De Bosscher K, Libbrecht L. Glucocorticoids: mechanisms of action and therapeutic dilemmas. Eur Respir J. 2018 Nov 1;52(5):1801042. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01042-2018. PMID: 30385558.
* Al-Jarrah S, Al-Fakhoury S, Al-Jarrah A, Al-Hadidy H. Glucocorticoid Side Effects and Their Management. Cureus. 2023 Jun 23;15(6):e40845. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40845. PMID: 37492160; PMCID: PMC10363294.
* Richter B, Lücke C, Thong SY, Schneider S, Leiknes I, Kjellås K, Mros R, Nothacker M, Meerpohl JJ. Tapering oral glucocorticoids: a systematic review. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jan 29;1(1):CD013449. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013449.pub2. PMID: 31994247.
* Cain DW, Cidlowski JA. Glucocorticoids in inflammatory diseases: Mechanisms of action and adverse events. Arthritis Res Ther. 2017 Aug 17;19(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s13075-017-1351-x. PMID: 28818228; PMCID: PMC5563032.
* Gurnell M, et al. Systemic Glucocorticoids in Common Inflammatory Diseases: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Strategies. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Nov 1;104(11):5326-5341. doi: 10.1210/jc.2019-00277. PMID: 31318047; PMCID: PMC6818784.
Q.
Internal Fire? Why Your Body is Attacking Itself and Medically Approved Next Steps for Methylprednisolone
A.
There are several factors to consider: autoimmune inflammation that feels like an internal fire can be rapidly calmed with methylprednisolone, a medically approved steroid that reduces immune overreaction to protect joints and organs, but it is not a cure and should not be used long term without close medical guidance. See below for crucial next steps that may change your plan, including confirming the diagnosis and ruling out infection, clarifying dose and tapering schedule, monitoring for side effects and red flags, and building safer long-term control with DMARDs or biologics plus supportive lifestyle changes.
References:
* Gao H, Guo H, Zhang T, Huang M, Li W, Wang H, Wang J, Shi Z, Sun H, Xu W, Chen H, Yu F, Xu C, Zhang H. Corticosteroids in autoimmune diseases: a comprehensive review. Front Pharmacol. 2023 Mar 2;14:1143891. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1143891. PMID: 36936302; PMCID: PMC10015502.
* Rao N, Sharma D, Goyal R, Kaur J. Adverse effects of glucocorticoids and their management: A practical approach. Indian J Pharmacol. 2022 Mar-Apr;54(2):100-108. doi: 10.4103/ijp.ijp_448_21. Epub 2022 May 20. PMID: 35685514; PMCID: PMC9187151.
* Fanouriakis A, Kostopoulou M, Karouzakis E, Bertsias G. Glucocorticoids in the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Mar 18;8:647712. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.647712. PMID: 33816405; PMCID: PMC8013894.
* Al-Arfaj AS. Pulse corticosteroid therapy in autoimmune diseases: historical background, mechanisms of action, and current evidence. Rheumatol Int. 2017 Jul;37(7):1037-1048. doi: 10.1007/s00431-017-2953-y. Epub 2017 May 26. PMID: 28546944.
* Takahashi T, Yamashita T, Tanaka A, Koda T. Current and Emerging Treatments for Autoimmune Disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 22;24(6):5986. doi: 10.3390/ijms24065986. PMID: 36982260; PMCID: PMC10051185.
Q.
Joints Feel Rusted? The RA Reality & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Persistent morning stiffness, swelling, and symmetrical joint pain that feel like rusted joints can point to rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease where early diagnosis is key to preventing damage. There are several factors to consider, and proven treatments such as DMARDs, biologics, and JAK inhibitors plus supportive lifestyle steps can achieve low disease activity or remission. For medically approved next steps, see below for specific red flags, how RA is diagnosed with exam, blood tests like RF and anti-CCP, and imaging, and how to work with a rheumatologist, including a quick symptom check to guide your visit.
References:
* Smolen JS, Aletaha D. Rheumatoid Arthritis: From Disease Modification to Disease Interception. N Engl J Med. 2023 Apr 20;388(16):1501-1511. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra2208018. PMID: 37075217.
* Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, et al. 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021 Apr;73(4):559-574. doi: 10.1002/art.41592. Epub 2021 Mar 1. PMID: 33786299.
* Smolen JS, Landewé RBM, Bijlsma CD, et al. EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2019 update. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020 Jan;79(1):68-83. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216655. Epub 2019 Oct 29. PMID: 31663717.
* Aletaha D, Neogi T, Silman AJ, et al. 2010 rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria: an American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism collaborative initiative. Arthritis Rheum. 2010 Sep;62(9):2569-81. doi: 10.1002/art.27584. PMID: 20872595.
* Rausa L, Castriota F, Bonavita D, et al. Physical Activity for People with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. J Clin Med. 2023 May 10;12(10):3909. doi: 10.3390/jcm12103909. PMID: 37240407.
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Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Sparks JA (2019). Rheumatoid Arthritis. Annals of internal medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30596879/Smolen JS, Aletaha D, Barton A, Burmester GR, Emery P, Firestein GS, Kavanaugh A, McInnes IB, Solomon DH, Strand V, Yamamoto K (2018). Rheumatoid arthritis. Nature reviews. Disease primers.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29417936/Singh JA (2022). Treatment Guidelines in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35953230/