If Arthritis can lead to severe pain, loss of joint mobility , joint deformation, shrinkage of muscles that are unused because of pain and sometimes an inability to perform daily activities as simple as getting dressed. Arthritis of the spine can cause pain in the upper back, neck, head, arms and chest. And the drugs used to treat arthritis may have side effects as well, some of them severe.
Proper diagnosis is important, so be sure to see a physician before beginning any treatment.
Your joints are stiff in the morning but loosen up later in the day. Your stiffness lasts for more than six weeks. You have severe joint pain that doesn't respond to heat, ice packs or aspirin. Your joint is hot, red, swollen and very painful. You experience stiffness after an injury to the joint.