You may have osteoarthritis and not even know it. Osteoarthritis doesn’t make you feel “sick.” You won’t have a fever, and you won’t lose weight. In fact, you may be unaware of the condition until it shows up in an x ray. When symptoms do begin to occur, they are usually mild at first and can include morning stiffness that disappears quickly.Another warning sign of osteoarthritis is pain. You may be surprised by a pain in one or both knees when you rise from a sitting position. Or you may experience pain in a joint after you overuse it or use it after being inactive for a while.Symptoms differ depending on which joint is affected. Osteoarthritis of the hands leads to pain and limited use. Osteoarthritis in the knees produces pain, swelling, and instability. Osteoarthritis of the hip causes local pain and a limp. Slow deterioration of discs between the bones along the spine can lead to back and neck stiffness.As the disease advances, you may experience pain when moving the affected joint. The pain might be worse during periods of activity and may abate when you are at rest. For some, osteoarthritis never gets beyond this point. For others, symptoms gradually worsen until they eventually limit daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, or typing.You may also begin to lose range of motion – how far one part of your body can move while the rest of you are holding still. With osteoarthritis that distance may decrease. You may not be able to turn your head as far to the side as you once could or lift your leg as high. This can translate into inconvenience in daily living: You may find it more difficult to check behind you for oncoming traffic while driving, or climb a stepladder to change a light bulb.*8/306/5*