Arthralgia
Arthralgia is the term for pain in or around the joint. It is a symptom, not a disease. This pain may affect 1 or more joints. In some cases, the pain moves from joint to joint.
There are many causes for joint pain. These include:
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Injury
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Wearing out the joint surface (osteoarthritis)
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Inflammation of the joint because of crystals in the joint fluid (gout)
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Infection inside the joint
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Inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around the joint (bursitis)
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Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
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Inflammation of chords that attach muscle to bone (tendonitis)
Home care
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Rest the affected joints until your symptoms improve.
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Eat a healthy diet, exercise as advised by your healthcare provider, and stay at a healthy weight
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You may be prescribed pain medicine. If none is prescribed, you may use acetaminophen or ibuprofen to control pain and inflammation.
Follow-up care
Follow up with your healthcare provider or as advised.
When to get medical care
Call your healthcare provider right away if any of these occur:
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Pain, swelling, or redness of joint increases
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Pain that gets worse or comes back after some improvement
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Pain moves to other joints
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You can't bear weight on the affected joint
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You can't move the affected joint
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Joint looks deformed
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New rash appears
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Fever of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher, or as advised by your provider
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New symptoms appear
Online Medical Reviewer:
Diane Horowitz MD
Online Medical Reviewer:
Marianne Fraser MSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Raymond Kent Turley BSN MSN RN
Date Last Reviewed:
5/1/2022
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