The most common symptom for almost every form of arthritis is joint pain. People may experience stiffness when they first wake up in the morning that may last for up to an hour. Swelling (edema), redness or warmth in a joint may also signal arthritis. A person may have difficulty moving a joint or putting weight on it.

The joint pain may remain constant or recur in a joint, along with tenderness. In arthritic knees, the pain may feel as if there is no support within the leg. Some people may have a reduced range of motion, especially in their shoulders and arms.

Some signs of arthritis are apparent only with x-rays or other imaging studies. Arthritic joints will show worn cartilage, bone spurs where cartilage has degenerated and reduced space in the joint cavity.