No two patients with any condition are exactly alike. But when it comes to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it may seem like friends or support group members are having a totally different experience with pain and symptoms than that of you or your loved one. And that’s because, oftentimes, they are. Unlike other diseases where there are telltale signs that most patients feel, this autoimmune disease can really affect people differently. While some patients severely struggle, experiencing consistent pain in all their joints, others may only have minor aches in their hands and feet, says Nilanjana Bose, M.D., a rheumatologist at the Rheumatology Center of Houston in Houston.