Do you get increased pain at times w/o redness or swelling?

Do you get increased pain at times without redness or swelling? How about pain and redness without swelling? Sometimes I feel like without puffy balloon-like joints the rheumy won't take me seriously.
When I do swell it is more up than out to the sides on my fingers. I can't fit my hand into the gloves I wore last year, there's that much diffrence, but he hasn't mentioned it and says the inflammation is under control. He barley looks at me every six months and hasn't done xrays in three years.
I finally chose to see a pain management doctor since my rheumy told me he would not prescribe stronger pain medication even though I was taking maximum doses of TY and MO nearly every day and taking vicodin for breakthrough pain about a third of the time and still getting breakthrough pain.
I seriously wonder if the inflammation could be under control if I am still in this much pain. When I get times of increased pain with redness on the joint, but no swelling, isn't that inflammation?

Christina,
I don't know(or remember..brain fog) if I told you how I was going to a Rheumy for a year. He would barely check my joints. Never ran x-rays and said all of my pain and joints inflammation was from FM. I had to remind him that FM was an over-sensory to pain and did not cause actual inflammation. He stopped listening to me all together. Gave me Tramadol and Cymbalta and that was it. No blood test, nothing. So I started thinking maybe I was crazy. I complained about my back he said not everything is something. Well one time he was overbooked so I had to see his RN. I decided to tell her about everything, careful not to act like I was putting him down. She ran blood test and I came back elevated on crp and ana. She called me right away and decided to wait 1 month to retest. Again it came back elevated even higher. So armed with the new info I went back to my Rheumy. He said literally"anyways it's not that high." I said what about the inflammation. He replied "anyways I will see you in 3 months." The next day I went to the internet and found this site. Told my story and everyone said get a second opinion. I did. Now I have my Rheumy now. He did x-rays and blood test right off the bat. The x-rays didn't show huge lesions so I thought well he won't look any further. I was wrong he sent me for bone scans and more blood work. The bone scans came back showing inflammation (a lot) in all my joints. The other blood test came back positive for RA, and Lupus. So he called me in for an emergency app. and started meds. I love him!!
He listened. Still does. I trust him with my care. It is like night and day between the two. I have never gone back to the old one.
I tell you this because you are not alone. You sometimes have to jump through hurdles to get heard. You know your body and what you are feeling!! You need to trust you and get another opinion. I didn't even have a referral for a new Rheumy. I just called around saying I wanted a second opinion, til I found him. You are worth it! Your Rheumy sounds, pardon this, but like an idiot. Old fashioned, whatever.
Take care and I hope you find your answers. I'm here for you. Heather

Thanks Mama 6- that is where I am at now, and needed a pep talk.. I have RA and Crohns. The Rhuemie keeps blaming the crohns... the GI (who I like and FOUGHT to get to, thinks the RA is pushing the crohns...) Tomorrow- I am asking my GI for a recommendation for a new rhuemie.

Kim