I read an article in a magazine that said one of the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis is “gelling.” What is that?

Simply put the gel phenomenon is stiffness after inactivity. Inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often start out as stiffness in the morning lasting more than 1 hour.

This stiffness is relieved with activity. It comes back when the person tries to do something after sitting down or resting. After a short period of activity the stiffness gets better.