More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have one of the 100 forms of arthritis, an informal term to describe joint pain or disease, according to Arthritis.org. Many people have heard of arthritis, but they don’t understand its symptoms or treatment.

Peter A. Matsuura, M.D. specializes in orthopedic surgery in Hilo, Hawaii, and educates his patients on the various conditions that affect the shoulder, elbows, knees, hip, wrists, hands, ankle, and feet, including arthritis. His practice performs hip surgery, shoulder surgery, and knee surgery to correct a variety of conditions.

If you are experiencing problems with your joints, you could be suffering from arthritis. Here are four of the most common symptoms you should discuss with a doctor:

• Pain: Pain that lingers or recurs frequently can be a sign of arthritis.
• Stiffness: When your muscles feel so tight that they’re hard to move, it could be a result of inflamed joints.
• Swelling: Hot, swollen limbs can also be a result of inflammation of the joints.
• Decreased Range Of Motion: All of the symptoms above can cause you to have difficulty moving some of your limbs.

Because there are so many types of arthritis, it can be difficult to diagnose. Dr. Matsuura will discuss your symptoms during an examination and recommend either non-surgical or state-of-the-art surgery options to treat arthritis in his patients.

If you’ve experienced sports injuries, knee pain, or broken bones, you could be susceptible to developing arthritis. Call Peter A. Matsuura, M.D. at (808) 969-3331 today to schedule an appointment to discuss your symptoms. You can also find him online.