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Q.I am a 25-year-old woman. For the past two weeks, I have been suffering from joint pain, mainly in my shoulders, elbow, fingers, knees and toes. The pain is most severe in the morning and then at night. The pain is accompanied by decreased mobility of my limbs. Could I have arthritis at my age?

A.Joint pain and stiffness in a 25-year-old woman can have many possible causes. I think it is important that you be evaluated, and I think a rheumatologist would be the proper physician to do that. Rheumatology is the field of medicine that specializes in nonsurgical management of joint pain.

A.There are many different forms of arthritis. The most common is known as osteoarthritis. This is called “wear and tear” arthritis and is most common in the elderly. Post-traumatic arthritis can occur at a younger age and follows injury to a joint.

This is most commonly seen after a fracture that has extended into a joint and created irregularity of the joint surfaces. Over time, this irregularity causes destruction of the joint and ultimately arthritis.

Other forms of arthritis that can occur in younger people involve inflammation of the joints. The most common of these is rheumatoid arthritis, though others that can cause joint destruction include psoriatic arthritis. Again, these occur in younger patients and are more commonly seen among women.