Find out why your joint is sore and what can help

What to notice about the soreness

Soreness from osteoarthritis often builds slowly. It'll follow stairs, a long walk, or heavy yard work. You may feel stiff when you first stand. It'll often loosen with easy movement, then ache again later.

Other problems don't behave that way. Rheumatoid disease can bring stiff mornings and swelling on both sides. Gout often starts fast in one warm, very sore joint. You'll need a doctor's exam to tell these causes apart.

What to ask when you want more help

Write down when the trouble started and which movements hurt. At the visit, they'll check swelling, motion, strength, and sore areas. An X-ray may show changes in bone or joint space. It won't tell the provider how much the soreness limits you.

QC Kinetix offers consultations for ongoing joint soreness. Its medical providers examine the joint and review your health first. One regenerative treatment starts with your own blood. The blood is spun to gather platelets, then the prepared material goes into the sore joint. That's platelet-rich plasma, or PRP.

What to try now and when to go

Begin with easy motion that your joint tolerates. Some joints feel steadier with a brace or cane. A cream or gel rubbed on the skin is called topical medicine. Your doctor will check whether it's safe for you.

A hot, very swollen joint needs prompt care. Don't wait when fever comes with that swelling. Major injury, new weakness, or lost bladder control also needs quick care. Those signs won't improve with home treatment alone.

Sources

1. CDC's National Health Interview Survey analysis found an estimated 21.2% of US adults (53.2 million people) had doctor-diagnosed arthritis in 2019-2021. Age-standardised prevalence was higher in women (20.9%) than men (16.3%). Adults 45 and older make up 88.3% of all US adults with arthritis, and prevalence was high among people with COPD (57.6%), dementia (55.9%), stroke (52.6%), heart disease (51.5%), diabetes (43.1%) and cancer (43.1%).

   Fallon EA, et al. — Prevalence of Diagnosed Arthritis - United States, 2019-2021.. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2023. DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7241a1.

2. The 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria define 'definite rheumatoid arthritis' by confirmed synovitis in at least one joint, absence of a better alternative diagnosis, and a total score of 6 or more out of 10 across four domains: number and site of involved joints (0-5), serology (0-3), acute-phase response (0-1) and symptom duration (0-1). This is the formal boundary between inflammatory arthritis and degenerative joint disease.

   Aletaha D, et al. — 2010 Rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria: an American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism collaborative initiative.. Arthritis Rheum, 2010. DOI: 10.1002/art.27584.

3. The 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline makes STRONG recommendations for exercise, weight loss in people with overweight or obesity, self-efficacy and self-management programmes, tai chi, cane use, hand orthoses for first-CMC joint OA, tibiofemoral bracing, topical NSAIDs for the knee, oral NSAIDs and intra-articular glucocorticoid injections for the knee; acupuncture, thermal modalities, radiofrequency ablation, acetaminophen, duloxetine and tramadol are only conditional.

   Kolasinski SL, et al. — 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee.. Arthritis Rheumatol, 2020. DOI: 10.1002/art.41142.

4. OARSI designates arthritis education plus structured land-based exercise (with dietary weight management for the knee) as CORE treatments for knee, hip and polyarticular OA. Topical NSAIDs are Level 1A for knee OA. Intra-articular corticosteroids, intra-articular hyaluronic acid and aquatic exercise are Level 1B/2 for the KNEE only and are NOT recommended for hip or polyarticular OA. Acetaminophen is conditionally not recommended, and no oral NSAID is recommended for people with cardiovascular comorbidity or frailty.

   Bannuru RR, et al. — OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis.. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2019.06.011.