Joint pain

Joint pain (also called arthralgia) is pain or stiffness in any joint in the body.¹

It’s most common in the knee, hip, hand, elbow, neck, shoulder and foot. Pain may come and go or be felt in more than one joint (this is called polyarthralgia). It’s a common condition that occurs more as we age.^1,2

It’s usually nothing to worry about and there are many things you can do to improve joint pain.

There are lots of different reasons for joint pain, which leads to different symptoms.

You may experience:

• Pain when you move
• Tenderness around the joint
• Redness or warm skin around the affected areas
• Swelling
• Stiffness.¹

Usually, you will be able to manage joint pain at home. You should speak to your GP if your pain is affecting your everyday activities, stopping you sleep or getting worse.¹

There are lots of possible causes of joint pain. It may be caused by:

• Any type of arthritis
• Fractures, sprains and strains
• Infection of the bone or joint
• Tendinitis
• Infection
• Autoimmune diseases (where the immune system attacks the body by mistake), like Lupus
• Fibromyalgia
• Bursitis (where the fluid-filled sacs between your joints become inflamed). ^1,3,4

Sometimes joint pain fades on its own without treatment. If it doesn’t, there are plenty of ways to manage and treat it.¹

You can use an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the painful joint for 20 minutes, every 2 to 3 hours. You can also use over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen.¹

Rest often helps to ease joint pain. If you’re overweight, losing weight helps to take pressure of the affected joints. Physical activity can help to ease symptoms too but take care not to overload the affected joint or joints.^1,5

You can also take warm baths and start a stretching and self-massage programme.³

When you’re experiencing joint pain, take care to keep moving the affected joint throughout the day without putting too much weight on it.¹

If your pain is too severe to manage at home, your GP may prescribe medicines to help lessen your pain or refer you to a specialist.