I have been concerned about some pains that I'm having in my fingers and hip joints. It's nothing terrible or anything but how do I tell if the pains are arthritis?

I will eventually go to the doctor but this is not that bad and I would rather wait until I have some more free time. Just looking for some information from those that have arthitis or know something about it to see if my situation is similar.

Where do I even begin to answer this question? First of all, by "arthritis" I think you mean the standard degenerative joint disease that everybody deals with sooner or later in their lifetime. There are many other types of "arthritis" (the word itself merely means inflammation of a joint(s)) which could lead to joint pain. Some examples are Rheumatoid Arthritis (an autoimmune disease where one's body makes antibodies to our joint linings, thereby inflaming and eventually destroying them), arthritis related to Lupus, psoriatic arthritis (which sometimes goes along with the skin condition psoriasis), and many others. The point is that many autoimmune diseases that are treated by Rheumatologists can cause joint pain from the arthritis that occurs from the body falsely thinking the joint lining is foreign tissue and our body destroying it.

While your problem may be very minor, so many issues would need to be taken into account before formulating an opinion or giving any advice on this issue. Age, sex, current/past medical history, medications/allergies to meds or environmental allergies, and more are all important. You shouldn't wait to see a doctor because even though you said it wasn't really bad, the fact that you posted this question means it's definitely an issue on your mind. Also, if it is one of the more serious or concerning medical problems that can cause arthritis, an early diagnosis may make for much easier treatment either to control the symptoms, or to possibly cure the problem.

That said, it's common for plain-old degenerative arthritis (DJD) to begin in the areas that are affecting you. The joint where the thumb meets the wrist and the joints in the fingers closest to the fingertips are very common places for standard DJD to begin. In addition, the weight bearing joints in the legs (knees, hips, ankles) are also common places for DJD to begin in. The symptoms of pain and stiffness usually begin very mildly and slowly and progress slowly. Symptoms get worse whenever the joint(s) affected are stressed (used more often and with greater amounts of force). i.e.-if you go to the mall and end up walking in one afternoon much more that you are used to, the hip joints will likely be more stiff and sore for 2-3 days after.

The other issue is that common diseases occur commonly. This may sound so obvious that it's silly, but its why you most likely are experiencing the early stages of DJD. When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, although occasionally a zebra may be mixed in with the herd. So don't wait and get checked out to be sure.

Thank you for the response. I think I will discuss this with my doctor because I do have a skin condition which was diagnosed as eczema, but could also be psorasis... possibly. I don't get large breakouts so when I've been to the doctor in the past they really didn't get a good look at the sites of the problem. I also had my thyroid removed last year so it might be some how related.

The pain is not bad but my hands still do hurt and when I do certain yoga exercises I feel a deep pain in my hip that may be a cramp, but it might also be something wrong with the joint.

Anyway, I have to go to my doctor sometime in the next two weeks so I will discuss it with my endocrine specialist who also specializes in rheumatology... I think he does anyway.

Thanks for your help and welcome to Answerpool!