Rheumatoid arthritis creates noticeable changes in the joints in the wrist. A common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis in the wrist is soft tissue swelling. The wrist joint space may also become narrowed. The wrist joint will not develop bony spurs if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis in the wrist may cause a nerve to become squeezed or pinched causing numbness in the fingers, mainly the index and middle finger. Usually, the little finger and the half of the ring finger closest to the little finger are not involved.

Other common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in the wrist include:

• Severe or shooting pain while your wrist is at rest
• Tingling feeling as if your fingers were asleep
• Pain is worse at night

If you have rheumatoid arthritis in the wrist, you will most likely have one or more of the other symptoms that are prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis:

• Swelling and pain in one or more joints, lasting six weeks or more
• Fatigue and/or weakness
• Stiffness following periods of immobility which gradually improves with movement
• General sickness, mild fevers, anemia and weight loss