Arthralgia

Arthralgia is joint pain that can affect one or more joints in your body. It can range from a mild ache to severe discomfort that interferes with daily activities, and understanding its causes and management options can help you maintain a better quality of life.

Table of contents

• What is Arthralgia
• Symptoms and Signs
• Causes and Risk Factors
• Arthralgia vs. Arthritis
• Diagnosis
• Treatment Options
• Lifestyle and Self-Care
• When to See Your Healthcare Provider

What is Arthralgia

Arthralgia means pain in a joint^[1]. The term comes from two Greek words: arthro, meaning joint, and algos, meaning pain^[5]. When pain affects more than one joint, it is called polyarthralgia^[1][3]. A joint is a place in your body where two or more bones come together. For example, your hip joint is where your thigh bone meets your pelvis^[9].

Joint pain is very common and usually felt in your hands, feet, hips, knees, or spine^[9]. Your joints may be constant or it can come and go. Sometimes joints feel stiff, achy, or sore, and some people describe a burning, throbbing, or “grating” sensation^[9].

Symptoms and Signs

If you are experiencing arthralgia, you may notice several symptoms. The most common symptom is joint pain itself. Beyond pain, you might experience stiffness or a reduced ability to move a joint through its full range of motion^[3].

Additional symptoms that often accompany joint pain include^[4][9]:

• Swelling or inflammation around the joint
• Redness
• Warmth or a feeling of heat near the joint
• Tenderness or sensitivity to touch
• Limited or no range of motion
• Apparent deformity in severe cases

Your joints may feel especially stiff in the morning but might loosen up and feel better with movement and activity. However, too much activity could make your pain worse^[9]. Some people find that their joint pain and swelling is worse at certain times of the day, for example first thing in the morning^[7].

You may find you have symptoms only after taking part in particular activities, like exercising. Conversely, your symptoms may appear for no reason. Joint pain can be intermittent and gradual, or it can be sudden^[5].

Causes and Risk Factors

Joint pain can have many different causes. Sometimes it results from injury to ligaments (tissues that connect bones), tendons (tissues that connect muscles to bones), or bursae (fluid sacs around joints)^[5]. Pain can also be a sign of inflammation, infection, or an allergic response^[5].

The most common causes of joint pain include^[9][12]:

• Osteoarthritis: A common type of arthritis that happens over time when the protective cushion between your bones, called cartilage, wears away. This usually develops slowly and occurs after age 45.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: A chronic disease that causes swelling and pain in your joints. It often causes joints to deform, usually in fingers and wrists.
• Gout: A painful condition where acidic crystals from your body collect in your joint, causing severe pain and swelling, usually in the big toe.
• Bursitis: Inflammation caused by overuse, usually found in hip, knee, elbow, or shoulder.
• Tendinitis: Inflammation of tendons, typically seen in elbow, heel, or shoulder, often caused by overuse.

Other causes include viral infections, injuries such as broken bones or sprains, and certain autoimmune conditions^[4][5]. Sometimes, joint pain happens naturally as a result of the wear and tear of aging^[4]. In some cases, arthralgia can be a side effect of cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and growth factors^[2].

Certain factors may make you more likely to experience joint pain^[9]:

• Having arthritis or other long-term medical conditions
• Previous injuries to a joint
• Repeatedly using or overusing a muscle
• Depression, anxiety, or stress
• Being overweight or having obesity
• Age—after years of use and wear on joints, problems may arise after age 45

Arthralgia vs. Arthritis

Many people use the terms arthralgia and arthritis interchangeably, but this is not correct. Arthralgia is joint pain—a symptom. Arthritis is a diagnosable condition that involves inflammation of one or more joints^[3][6].

Arthritis is a diagnosis and not a symptom. Its diagnosis requires physical signs of joint inflammation or the physical or X-ray signs of osteoarthritis^[1]. A person with arthritis may experience arthralgia, but arthralgia is not always the result of arthritic inflammation^[3].

The United States National Library of Medicine has determined that the term “arthralgia” should be used only to describe joint pain not caused by inflammatory diseases like arthritis. However, many doctors still use the word “arthralgia” to refer to any type of joint pain^[5]. Doctors may use the more general diagnosis of arthralgia before a more specific diagnosis can be confirmed^[5].

Diagnosis

When you see a healthcare provider for joint pain, they will start by taking a detailed history of your symptoms. They will ask about inflammation, the location of pain, how long symptoms have lasted, whether you have any other symptoms throughout your body, and any exposures that might have caused arthritis^[8].

Your provider will determine whether other signs of inflammation have been observed. Redness, warmth, and especially swelling should be specifically addressed. The presence of redness, swelling, and warmth with prolonged morning stiffness, pain at night, or stiffness at rest helps confirm an inflammatory joint condition^[8].

Your provider will perform a physical examination to check your joints for swelling, redness, and warmth. They will also want to see how well you can move your joints^[11]. The pattern of joint involvement, including location, symmetry, and number of involved joints, helps narrow the possible diagnosis^[8].

If needed, your healthcare provider may order tests to help confirm a diagnosis. These might include^[11]:

• Laboratory tests: Analysis of blood, urine, or joint fluid can help identify the type of condition you may have.
• Imaging tests: X-rays can show cartilage loss, bone damage, and bone spurs. CT scans and MRIs can provide more detailed images of soft tissues like cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. Ultrasound can also be used to image soft tissues and guide needle placement for procedures.

Laboratory findings or biomarkers should be used to confirm the clinical impression based on the history and physical examination^[8].

Treatment Options

The management of arthralgia depends on the cause, type, and severity of the condition^[10]. The main therapy goals are to improve joint function and relieve pain in order to improve your quality of life^[10].

Medications

Pain relief medications, also called analgesics, include acetaminophen (paracetamol), ibuprofen, and diclofenac. These drugs belong to a class called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. They have a dual action of relieving pain and reducing inflammatory changes^[10]. Pain relievers may be applied locally over the joint as creams, ointments, and sprays, or may be taken as pills^[10].

Long-term use of NSAIDs is not recommended as they may carry the risk of severe side effects including gastric ulcers, kidney damage, and heart disease^[10]. Another class of pain relievers are opioids, but long-term use is also not recommended as they may lead to dependence and abuse^[10].

If you have an inflammatory form of arthritis, your provider may prescribe disease-modifying medications or biologic agents^[13]. Antibiotics are prescribed in case of infected joints^[10]. Corticosteroids are also used in many conditions because they reduce swelling and slow down the immune system^[10].

Injections and Other Treatments

Corticosteroid injections often calm acute inflammation, whereas hyaluronic acid may supplement joint lubrication. Relief can last weeks or months^[21].

Physical and occupational therapy, monitored exercises, and joint mobilization help by increasing muscle strength and maintaining optimum joint mobility. This reduces and slows the progress of joint stiffness^[10]. A physical therapist can teach you proper ways to sit, stand, and move^[14].

Alternative exercise therapies include water therapy and heat and cold therapy^[10]. Applying both cold and heat to a sore joint can be effective ways to reduce pain. Heat is good to relax the muscles around a joint. If the joint is hot and swollen, use a cold pack^[24].

In some cases, surgical therapy may be needed for restoration of function, pain relief, and to introduce prosthetic joint replacements for better mobility^[10].

Lifestyle and Self-Care

There are many things you can do at home to help manage joint pain and improve your quality of life. These self-care activities may help lessen your pain^[2][18]:

Exercise and Physical Activity

Regular, low-impact exercise helps keep your joints moving, preventing pain and stiffness. Walking, swimming, water exercise, or gardening will keep your muscles and joints moving^[2]. Try not to do exercises that stress your muscles and joints, such as running, aerobics, tennis, or contact sports^[2].

All adults should try to get at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) each week of moderate physical activity. You can break it up into small chunks—for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week^[18]. Gentle stretching exercises will also help move your joints through their full range of motion^[14].

Weight Management

Being overweight can worsen joint pain symptoms and increase pain. Extra weight places excess pressure on the joints in your hips, knees, ankles, and feet^[14]. Keeping a healthy weight can help slow symptoms from getting worse. For adults who are overweight, even a small amount of weight loss—as little as 5%, or 12 pounds for a 250-pound person—can help^[18].

Rest and Joint Protection

Balance activity and rest, and don’t overdo it^[14]. If your joint pain resulted from injury, home care may include rest and applying warm or cold packs^[4]. Warm showers and placing hot packs on your joints or muscles may relieve pain^[2].

Be mindful of your joints in all activities. Use larger, stronger joints as levers, use several joints to spread the weight of an object, and don’t grip too tightly^[20]. It’s also important to avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time and to take regular breaks^[20].

Assistive Devices

Using assistive devices like a cane, crutch, or walker can relieve pressure on your knee or hip. Always use the cane or crutch in the opposite hand of the affected joint^[24]. Use of medical devices such as splints, braces, and adaptive tools can improve mobility and make daily tasks easier^[10].

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Maintain a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, and lean protein^[19]. Anti-inflammatory foods such as fish, nuts, and beans can help reduce inflammation^[25].

If you smoke, quitting is important. Smoking contributes to arthritis and may make it worse^[25]. Managing stress through meditation, mindful breathing, or progressive relaxation can also help you feel better^[24].

When to See Your Healthcare Provider

You should see a healthcare provider if you are experiencing joint pain or swelling, especially if^[7][9]:

• It starts for no clear reason
• It lasts for more than a few days
• The joint is red and warm
• You have a sudden flare with redness, fever, or swelling
• Pain disrupts sleep, work, or exercise
• You no longer find relief with gentle stretching, rest, or over-the-counter medication
• Joint pain is severe enough to affect your daily routine
• It feels like you can’t move or use your joints as well as usual

If you have muscle or joint pain that is not getting better with self-care measures, tell your care provider. Do not stop your treatments to manage your pain without talking to your provider first^[2].

Joint pain may affect the function of your joints and can limit your ability to do basic tasks. Severe, painful joints can interfere with your quality of life. Treatment should focus not only on pain but on getting back to daily activities and living your life to the fullest^[9].