Does PsA always cause tenderness (to the touch) and stiffness?

....because I have neither.

Hi all. I have been lurking around here for a few months, as my symptoms began around Thanksgiving and I am in the process of being diagnosed. Have seen a rheumatologist twice now, but she is still not certain about my condition. I have pain on my fingers, palms, wrists, knees and feet - varying from mild to severe. However, I don't have any tenderness (I am able to squeeze/rub all my sore spots without increasing the pain). I can also easily crack my knuckles (bad habit!) without pain. I have no visible joint swelling. My pain varies between a burning pain, and a deep aching pain. I also have not experienced any stiffness. My pain seems to center around the joints, and not on the joints themselves.

After my fingers started feeling wierd a few months ago, I was diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel through a nerve conduction study. But my pinky is affected too, so there is likely more going on than just that.

Anyway, just wondering if tenderness to the touch and stiffness were almost always present.

I have really appreciated reading all of your threads/posts. It has provided comfort to know that there are good treatment options if PSA is eventually diagnosed, and I have learned a lot from reading about your experiences with different medications. My grandma has PSA, but is getting too old to really remember/talk about it with me. Thanks so much for reading.

Interesting that you can crack your knuckles lol...when I was dignosed, I couldn't do that any more...

Now that I have been treated for the last two years, I can get around 10-12 cracks lol...and managed to crack my neck for the first time in two years today.

I've had PsA for 31 yrs, and only intermittently during those years have I had stiffness. My joints aren't usually tender to the touch, just painful to move, or a deep pain inside.

What I've learned is that everyone has variations of presentation with this disease. Whatever you have is normal for YOU.

Thanks so much for your replies. Reading these forums has definitely provided a glimpse into the variety of symptoms. Reading everyones posts makes the disease sound different then how the the standard medical websites portray it. I probably shouldn't say that I don't have tenderness to the touch, as I did just before Thanksgiving when my ankle swelled up and was tender to the touch and stiff in the morning. But that pain was nothing compared to the all-day burning that surrounds my joints. I'm curious to see how my symptoms progress.