3 Reasons Why Your Joints Might Hurt

Our joints — where two bones come together — allow us to move. Work, play, and even daily living are a whole lot harder when they’re bothering us. So it’s normal to wonder, “Why do my joints hurt?” 

Since many different structures and problems can cause joint pain, the answer to this question isn’t always simple. We’ll walk through how healthcare providers think about joint pain, determine the cause, and offer tips for treatment. 

Why are my joints hurting all of a sudden?

Step one is determining where the joint pain is coming from. Pain may come from one or a combination of structures. 

Let’s use knee pain as an example. When your knee hurts, pain could be coming from one or more of the following:

• Knee joint itself

• Tendons

• Ligaments

• Bones

• Meniscus (a pad of cartilage that acts like a cushion)

• Bursa (a sac of fluid that acts like a cushion, too)

• Nerves

Step two is determining the cause of pain. Generally speaking, this falls into a few different buckets:

• Injury 

• Overuse 

• Degeneration 

• Less common causes 

It’s common to think about “arthritis” as a cause, but this word simply refers to inflammation within the joint. There are actually several different types of arthritis.

What causes joint pain?

Many things can cause joint pain. Some causes are more common than others. 

1. Injury

Trauma is a somewhat obvious but important cause of joint pain. Injuries from sports, fitness, or falls can harm structures in and around the joint. Direct trauma can also bruise the bones of a joint. Sometimes the pain is immediate, but other times it’s delayed. 

If you suffered an injury of some kind, it’s important to let your provider know — even if the story is a bit embarrassing. Your healthcare provider’s office should be a safe place to openly share information. The more your provider knows about what happened, the better their treatment recommendations will be. This can also help you avoid unnecessary testing.

2. Overuse

Are there certain movements that you perform every day? For most people, the answer is yes. We all have routines, and sometimes those routines place extra stress on certain areas of the body. That extra stress is called overuse. Overuse can cause joint pain in a variety of ways. 

For example, tennis elbow is caused by repeatedly bending and straightening the wrist or twisting the forearm. This is because the tendons of the muscles that make these movements attach at the elbow. This repeated movement aggravates those tendons. 

Another example is overuse in the shoulder. The tendons in the shoulder that make up the rotator cuff wear down over time, causing small tears and inflammation.

3. Degeneration

Our bodies are amazing machines. But even the best machines wear out over time. Which areas wear out first and fastest depends on the person.  

When cartilage (the cushioning) in a joint wears away, osteoarthritis occurs. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It can occur in any joint, including small joints in the hands and feet. But it more commonly affects large joints like the knees and hips.

Less common causes 

Providers start with the list above when it comes to thinking about joint pain because common things are, well, common. However, if your symptoms and response to treatment don’t make sense, it’s time to start thinking outside the box. 

Some less common causes of joint pain include:

• Autoimmune and inflammatory disorders: The immune system normally protects the body against things that don’t belong. But sometimes it gets confused and attacks the joints instead. Rheumatologists specialize in these conditions. Examples include rheumatoid arthritis and gout.

• Infections: Both infections of the joint itself (septic arthritis), or infections in general (like the flu) can cause joint pain.

• Frozen shoulder: Structures around the shoulder joint become inflamed and thicken, leading to loss of mobility (as if the shoulder were frozen).

• Radicular pain (pinched nerve): For example, a pinched nerve in the lower back can cause pain to shoot down the leg. You might feel this in your hip or knee.

• Referred pain: Pain from one structure may sometimes cause pain in different areas of the body. For example, pain coming from structures in the neck may cause headache.

• Fibromyalgia: This condition may cause pain throughout the body (including the joints).

How can I stop my joints from hurting?

The good news is that there are many treatment options for joint pain, and the list includes more than just medications. Specific treatment will depend on the specific cause of joint pain. For example, if infection causes joint pain, treat the infection. If gout causes joint pain, treat gout. 

Certain medications may help joint pain regardless of the cause. But be sure to discuss these with your doctor first to make sure they’d be safe for you to take, especially if you have other medical conditions.

Medication options include:

• Over-the-counter pain medications, like Tylenol and ibuprofen 

• Topical pain medications (like diclofenac gel)

• Herbal supplements like turmeric

• Prescription medications like meloxicam

Physical therapy can be very helpful for joint pain, as well. Physical therapists design personalized programs to stretch and strengthen the part of the body that hurts.

Weight loss can also help relieve joint pain in the lower body (like the low back, hips, and knees). Extra weight puts extra stress on the joints, like carrying a full backpack. Losing that weight is like taking off the backpack.

Finally, exercise is wonderful for both the treatment and prevention of joint pain. Exercise might sound impossible when your joints hurt, but a sedentary lifestyle is actually worse. This is because muscles weaken and structures lose flexibility when we stop moving. 

If exercise is difficult for you, consider starting with physical therapy. This can be a great way to regain the confidence to start moving again.

When should I see a doctor for joint pain?

You know your body better than anyone. So if something just doesn’t feel right, and your joint pain is affecting your quality of life, talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you get to the bottom of things or decide if and when to see a specialist. 

Does cold weather affect joint pain?

Cold or rainy weather can indeed make joint pain worse. This might be due to changes in the temperature and pressure of the air.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Samantha C. Shapiro, MD

Samantha Shapiro, MD, is a board-certified rheumatologist and internist with expertise in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. She founded the division of rheumatology at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.

Edited by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined her interests in clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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