Pain that appears to come from the joints can sometimes come from structures outside the joints, such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Examples of these disorders are bursitis and tendinitis. True joint pain (arthralgia) may not be accompanied by joint inflammation (arthritis).
True joint pain (arthralgia) may not be accompanied by joint inflammation (arthritis). The most common symptom of arthritis is pain. Inflamed joints may also be warm and swollen, and the skin over the joint can often be red. Arthritis can be limited to the joints of the extremities or also to the joints of the central part of the skeleton, such as the spine or pelvis. The pain may occur only when the joint is moved, or it may also be present at rest. Other symptoms, such as a rash, fever, eye pain, or mouth sores, may occur, depending on the cause of the joint pain.
Different disorders tend to affect different numbers of joints. For this reason, doctors consider different causes of pain when it occurs in one joint (see Arthralgia: Single joint) compared to when it occurs in more than one joint. When pain is felt in several joints, some disorders are more likely to affect the same joint on both sides of the body (for example, the knees or both hands) than others. This is called symmetrical arthritis. In some disorders, the arthritis attack continues in the same joints for the duration of the attack. In other disorders, arthritis moves from one joint to another (migratory arthritis).
/ … / lots of joints
Joint pain: a lot of joints
(several joint pain)
According to Alexandra Villa-Forte, MD, MPH, Cleveland Clinic
Last full revision/revision Rabi` al-Thani 1434| Content was last modified Rabi` al-Thani 1435
Get the quick facts
Pain that appears to come from the joints can sometimes come from structures outside the joints, such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Examples of these disorders are bursitis and tendinitis.
True joint pain (arthralgia) may not be accompanied by joint inflammation (arthritis). The most common symptom of arthritis is pain. Inflamed joints may also be warm and swollen, and the skin over the joint can often be red. Arthritis can be limited to the joints of the extremities or also to the joints of the central part of the skeleton, such as the spine or pelvis. The pain may occur only when the joint is moved, or it may also be present at rest. Other symptoms, such as a rash, fever, eye pain, or mouth sores, may occur, depending on the cause of the joint pain.
Different disorders tend to affect different numbers of joints. For this reason, doctors consider different causes of pain when it occurs in one joint (see Arthralgia: Single joint) compared to when it occurs in more than one joint. When pain is felt in several joints, some disorders are more likely to affect the same joint on both sides of the body (for example, the knees or both hands) than others. This is called symmetrical arthritis. In some disorders, the arthritis attack continues in the same joints for the duration of the attack. In other disorders, arthritis moves from one joint to another (migratory arthritis).
the reasons
In most cases, the cause of pain arising within a number of joints is arthritis. The disorders that cause arthritis may differ from each other in certain directions, as follows:
The number and type of joints where inflammation usually occurs
Whether the inflammation usually occurs in the central part of the skeleton, such as the spine or pelvis
Whether the arthritis is sudden (acute) or long-lasting (chronic)
Acute arthritis, which affects a number of joints most often, is caused by the following:
viral infection
The onset of a joint disorder or the onset of an existing chronic joint disorder (such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis)
Less common causes of acute polyarthritis include Lyme disease (which may also be limited to a single joint), gonorrhea, streptococcal bacterial infections, and reactive arthritis (post-intestinal or joint inflammation) that develops in the joints and develops.
the reasons
In most cases, the cause of pain arising within a number of joints is arthritis. The disorders that cause arthritis may differ from each other in certain directions, as follows:
The number and type of joints where inflammation usually occurs
Whether the inflammation usually occurs in the central part of the skeleton, such as the spine or pelvis
Whether the arthritis is sudden (acute) or long-lasting (chronic)
Acute arthritis, which affects a number of joints most often, is caused by the following:
viral infection
The onset of a joint disorder or the onset of an existing chronic joint disorder (such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis)
Less common causes of acute polyarthritis include Lyme disease (which may also be limited to a single joint), gonorrhea, streptococcal bacterial infections, and reactive arthritis (post-intestinal or joint inflammation) that develops in the joints and develops.
Chronic arthritis often occurs in approximately a number of joints due to the following causes:
Inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or systemic lupus erythematosus (in adults)
Non-inflammatory osteoarthritis disorder (in adults)
juvenile idiopathic arthritis (in children)
Other causes of chronic arthritis in a number of joints include autoimmune disorders that affect the joints, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and vasculitis.
Some chronic inflammatory disorders can affect the spine as well as the joints of the extremities (called peripheral joints). Some affect specific parts of the spine more frequently. For example, ankylosing spondylitis most commonly affects the lower (lumbar) spine, while rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the upper (cervical) spine in the neck.
The most common non-joint disorders that cause pain around the joints are:
fibromyalgia
polymyalgia rheumatica
Bursitis or tendinitis
Bursitis and tendinitis are often caused by an injury, usually limited to one joint. However, some disorders cause bursitis or tendinitis in many joints.