Rheumatoid arthritis can affect any of the joints in the body, including the elbow joint. This long-term condition causes inflammation, stiffness, and pain around affected joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious condition, and it occurs when your immune system mistakes the lining of the joints for an invader. 

This case of mistaken identity can lead to many issues in your joints, and it’s the most common type of arthritis that affects the elbow. 

Here are three ways rheumatoid arthritis in the elbow can feel: 

Painful

Pain is one of the most common feelings that rheumatoid arthritis causes in the elbow. 

The pain is a result of the attacks the immune system makes on the joint lining, but several other issues that may occur before you feel pain in the elbow. 

The soft tissue in your elbow is likely to become inflamed first, and then, the body will send fluid rushing to the joint. 

This is commonly called swelling. When the swelling doesn’t go away, it gives elbow structures less room to move, and this can cause them to rub against each other. 

This friction is the direct cause of the pain you feel. 

Lumpy

Rheumatoid arthritis in the elbow can also make your elbow feel like it has lumps in it. 

In this case, this feeling isn’t an illusion, because rheumatoid arthritis can cause lumps to form under the skin of the elbow joint. 

These lumps are called rheumatoid nodules, and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society in the United Kingdom reports that they appear in about 20% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 

Typically, the lumps aren’t painful to the touch. Medical professionals have also noticed that people who smoke are more likely to develop nodules if they have rheumatoid arthritis. 

Misshapen

The elbow joint can also feel like it’s changing shape when you have rheumatoid arthritis. 

Over time, the condition can cause parts of the elbow bones to erode away, and this is why it feels like the joint’s shape has changed. 

Schedule Your Appointment with Health Plus Physical Therapy

At Health Plus PT, our Arthritis Care program is dedicated to helping patients manage pain and maintain function in joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis in the elbow requires a careful, patient-centered approach, and our specialized therapy is designed to reduce inflammation, preserve range of motion, and strengthen surrounding muscles using evidence-based techniques, personalized exercises, and advanced treatment methods.

Contact us today to get started and book your appointment!