What Is Arthralgia?

Arthralgia is a term used to describe aching or pain in one or more of the joints in the body. There are many different causes of arthralgia, including various forms of arthritis and other ailments, injury, infection, and an allergic reaction to medication or food.

Arthralgia can be experienced anywhere you have a joint—the point of connection between two bones—such as the knees, ankles, elbows, or back. The pain can be described as sharp, dull, stabbing, shooting, burning, or throbbing, and it can range in intensity from mild to severe.

Because arthralgia is usually a symptom of a larger condition happening in your body, you may need additional medical testing before your healthcare provider can determine the underlying cause of your joint pain.

This article will explain the causes of arthralgia (and how it's not the same thing as arthritis), the symptoms, how it's diagnosed, and how to manage it.

Arthralgia vs. Arthritis

Arthralgia and arthritis are similar, so it's easy to get them confused. Because they both deal with joint pain, the terms arthralgia and arthritis are sometimes used interchangeably. Technically, arthralgia is a symptom that refers to joint pain, while arthritis is a health condition that has symptoms of inflammation and pain in the joints.

Though many experts and medical organizations agree upon these definitions, there are some healthcare providers and healthcare professionals who may use the word arthralgia to refer to any type of joint pain, regardless of whether there's inflammation or not.

This is why it's important to clarify your underlying condition with your practitioner after being diagnosed with arthralgia, as it could affect treatment and potential future complications.

Arthralgia Symptoms

The primary symptom of arthralgia is joint pain, which may be described as dull, sharp, stabbing, shooting, burning, throbbing, or aching. Arthralgia can range in intensity from mild to severe, and it can appear suddenly or develop more slowly and get worse over time.

Aside from the pain that characterizes arthralgia, some people also experience additional symptoms, such as:

• Soreness or tenderness
• Redness or warmth
• Limited mobility
• Stiffness or weakness
• Tingling, numbness, or other similar sensations

With arthralgia, it's possible to experience pain daily, or just at certain times. You may also find your arthralgia to be more intense after certain activities, such as exercising, or find that the pain starts up without any particular reason.

Arthralgia can happen anywhere there is a joint on the body, including:

• Ankle
• Spine
• Elbow
• Hand, fingers, or wrist
• Hip
• Knee
• Shoulder

If you have pain in more than one joint, it's sometimes referred to as polyarthralgia.

Causes

There are many different reasons why people experience arthralgia. It's commonly linked to arthritis (inflammation and pain in the joints) but there are a variety of other reasons that you may be stuck with painful joints. Some of the potential culprits could include:

• Injury, like joint sprain, strain, or dislocation
• Infection, like viral illness
• Immune disorder, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or Sjogren's syndrome
• Allergic reaction to medication or food
• Joint overuse
• Degenerative disease
• Tendonitis

Arthralgia can also be environmental. That means your arthralgia, whatever the cause, can be triggered or worsened by changes in the weather.

Diagnosis

Because arthralgia can be a product of many different underlying health conditions, your healthcare provider or other healthcare professional will want to perform a careful clinical evaluation to pinpoint the exact cause of your pain before making a diagnosis.

The evaluation will likely include the following:

History: You should expect to answer questions about your symptoms, such as whether the pain is localized or moving, whether it started suddenly or came on gradually, how severe it is, and what other symptoms you have. This is in addition to general questions about your health history, such as any other health conditions you have and medications you're taking.

Physical exam: Your practitioner will likely also perform a physical exam of the affected joint and surrounding area, checking for redness, warmth, inflammation, and any difficulty moving the joints.

Testing: While there's no definitive test to diagnose arthralgia, there are multiple types of exams that your medical professional could decide to order, depending on your specific case. These include:

• Blood tests, including rheumatoid factor test and antibody tests
• Removal of joint fluid or tissue for testing, culture, or analysis
• Joint X-ray
  

Arthralgia Treatment

Treatment for arthralgia will depend on a variety of factors: the joint that’s affected, the severity of the pain, the underlying cause, and your overall health.

Home Treatments

If your arthralgia is not serious and does not involve other health complications, it can usually be managed at home with over-the-counter medications and some simple lifestyle tweaks according to your healthcare provider's recommendations:

• NSAID pain relievers, such as ibuprofen
• Hot or cold compresses
• Rest
• Exercise that is easy on the joints
• Warm baths
• Massages or essential oil use
  
• Topicals like capsaicin cream or arthritis cream

Medical Treatments

If it's determined that your case of arthralgia is more severe, it's possible that different medications and procedures may be recommended, especially if your arthralgia is a symptom of a serious underlying health condition. In these instances, your healthcare provider's recommendations could include:

• Joint replacement or reconstruction surgery for repairable joint damage
• Biologic drugs for a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis
• Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis
• Corticosteroid injection
• Physical therapy
• Antibiotics for a septic joint infection
• Antivirals for a viral infection, like hepatitis C

Complications

It’s important to be aware that arthralgia has the potential for serious complications if the joint pain or its underlying condition is left untreated, or not treated properly. That's why it's a good idea to discuss and implement a treatment plan with your healthcare provider or healthcare professional to minimize the risk of complications, including:

• Inability to perform daily activities
• Serious infections
• Severe discomfort or pain
• Visible joint deformity
• Disability
• Amputation
• Certain types of cancer

Some research has indicated that arthralgia can also be a precursor to certain forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, which can affect the entire body.

A Word From Verywell

When it comes to arthralgia, a healthcare provider's diagnosis is extremely helpful to ensure you're getting the proper treatment. For example, you could think you have arthritis, when your arthralgia is actually a sign of a different underlying health condition.

To make matters even more tricky, people who have arthritis can often experience arthralgia, but many people with arthralgia may not have arthritis. Regardless of what your diagnosis ends up being, the presence of joint pain is your body's (not-so-subtle) way of letting you know that something is off.

Being open and honest with your healthcare provider or other healthcare professional about your pain and any other symptoms will help get down to the root cause of the issue and, hopefully, get you back on the path of living a healthier life with less pain.