Pain in neck constant both arms are heavy and legs are stiff and heavy hard to walk Slight tremor in left hand balance problem walking is hard all day? Dr. Sandra Gotman Dr. Gotman Heavy arms and legs: You are too young to be having all of these issues.
RA is a serious autoimmune disease that is much different from osteoarthritis, the type that usually occurs as we age. Rheumatoid arthritis can strike at any age, and if you donât get diagnosed and treated, you could develop painful crippling and deformity. A devastating disease that can severely damage your joints, RA also affects other organs and reduces your life expectancy.
Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that attacks multiple joints throughout the body. Rheumatoid arthritis often starts in smaller joints, like those found in the hand and wrist. It is symmetrical, meaning that it usually affects the same joint on both sides of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system attacks its own tissues. In RA, the defenses that protect the body from infection instead damage normal tissue (such as cartilage and ligaments) and soften bone.