Is there always "Symetrical Pain"? | Arthritis Information

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Just wondering if this is something that always occurs in RA or just in most people, because I am not really experiencing "symetrical pain". Now I get pain on both sides in my wrists, ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders, but not always both sides at the same time. My left side will hurt for awhile and then later that day or even the next it will switch to the other. I do get "symetrical pain" sometimes though, just not all the time. 

My worst constant pain is in my right shoulder, upper back, and neck.
You will hear from many people here who often have one-sided pain.  No one is a textbook case and there are as many variations on how this disease presents itself, as there are people.  Mine is symetrical for the most part but I also have that neck- shoulder thing you have just on my left side. Maybe it's not a RA thing?My pain/swelling are very asymmetrical.  RD I saw at Vandy said he would not include me in any RA study, but not every case of RA presents in the typical pattern.

Jennmommie -

"My worst constant pain is in my right shoulder, upper back, and neck."  I thought I was dying because of that right shoulder thing.  How's your pain scale?  Off the charts?

Palindromic RA people are asymmetrical until we progress with the disease.
 
Check out www.Palindromic.org
 
Pip
Thanks for the link. I think I am still looking for other possibilities besides RA, but I am probably going to have to just accept that I have it and be positive about it.  I had/have my neck/upper back/ shoulder problems. My neck would get soo stiff from being up right. Come to find out... it was fibro causes me that problem. Well... fibro aggravated by my RA.
 
The right side of my body gets hit by the RA harder than my left side. Like my right knee will swell larger than my left knee. When I was a kid with JRA, it was my left side of my body that it attacked the most.
I've been diagnosed with palindromic rheumatism and my pain is almost never symmetrical.  Actually, the only place I've had pain at all lately is my left shoulder/neck area.  I'm not sure if it's the RA or just my messed up spine.  I've been seeing a chiropractor and it has helped A TON!!!  Also, shoulder massages from the hubby help loosen things up.  Heat helps too, although the doc told me to use ice.  And last... being active!!  Going for runs actually helps my shoulder... I'm not sure why, but it really loosens it up in the morning when it's at it's stiffest.  And swimming has been really great as well.  Just treading water for a bit really helps!  The only problem there for me is my new hairstyle.  I heard green wasn't in.   symmetrical means that you get symptoms on both corresponding sides of the body HOWEVER IT DOES NOT MEAN IT ALWAYS OCCURS AT THE SAME TIME.  Symtoms tend to be worse on the dominant side of the body..which may simply be due to us using or noticing the symptoms more on that side.
 
Shoulder/neck pain is common even in so called normal folks.  So if you add in RA that just compounds things.  Posture, overuse, computer use, picking up children with one arm and trying to do stuff with the other, sleeping position, stress, carrying a heavy purse or computer bag all affect the trapezius muscle (neck to shoulder muscle).  Stretching and exercise of that area will help relax those muscles a great deal and help to relieve pain in the neck/shoulder region.  It won't eliminate the shoulder pain caused by the RA but relaxing the muscle is a good thing
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Posts: 1235    Posted: Today at 12:38pm symmetrical means that you get symptoms on both corresponding sides of the body HOWEVER IT DOES NOT MEAN IT ALWAYS OCCURS AT THE SAME TIME. Jenn...you might see if you can squeeze an appt in for an occupational therapist.  their job is to help modify movements to be less stressful on the joints.  Little things (and yes I'm all for the massage idea!!! After being on Enbrel which pretty much took care of the RA joint pain, I have figured out that I often suffer from tendonitis and bursitis. When you are in pain it is easy to attribute all of it to RA but it may not be the case. RA may cause issues with connective tissue problems which may not be symmetrical. One good thing is the tendonitis and bursitis is not as damaging as joint pain.jennmommi, you've already gotten great advice.  Have it checked out, and do what you can for it.  Just thought you'd also like to see, awhile back I took a survey of people on this board and here's the response about symmetrical pain:

     5. Are your symptoms symmetrical? (Do they happen in the same places on both the left and right?)

% of
 Respondents 

Number of
 Respondents 

Yes

74.44%

67

No

25.56%

23

Number of respondents

90

Number or respondents who skipped this question

10

Jennmommi -
You may want to get your neck checked out for the shoulder/back pain.  I had that pain this past fall and it ended up being referred pain from cervical stenosis and disc bulges.    Took some time, but with exercise and traction it's much better. 
 
 
I've had symptoms mostly on the left side.  Only the right hip has ever bothered me and that has always been with my lower back pain.  I can't tell you if it's normal, only that is the way I've experienced it.
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