The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are:

• Pain and tenderness
• Stiffness and swelling
• Warmth and redness
• Dull burning pain
• Grinding sensation
• Difficulty with fine control of the hands
• Symptoms that ease after activity and are usually worse at the start of the day or after being inactive

Although the symptoms can occur anywhere in the body, stiffness in the hands in the morning with pain and swelling is the most common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis we see. The pain tends to present on both sides of the body. You may experience some but not all of these symptoms, and they can come and go. You may also notice symptoms in the rest of the body, including feeling tired, having a temperature, poor appetite, and weight loss.