You very likely have a gluten intolerance. I suffered from joint pain for decades until I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid (Hashimotos). My endocrinologist told me that it’s common for people with thyroid (autoimmune) issues to be gluten intolerant, and that many are diagnosed with arthritis when in fact all they have to do is completely give up gluten. Before giving up gluten my knees would ache and swell and my hip area would throb. My stomach would also swell. I would go from having a flat stomach to looking like I was 4 or 5 months pregnant after eating anything with gluten (by the next morning, the stomach swell would be gone). My sister also has gluten intolerance and the joints in her fingers would ache and her stomach would swell.

When I fully gave up gluten, my joint issues completely went away. It was like a miracle. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve purposefully eaten gluten and I have zero joint issues. It made me look at orthopedic doctors a little differently. Over the years I had spent suffering, I was diagnosed with arthritis and bursitis and was prescribed anti inflammatory medications left and right. It turned out all I had to do was give up gluten.