Joint Stiffness Symptoms, Causes & Common Questions
Understand your joint stiffness symptoms, including 10 causes & common questions.
Updated on
Reviewed by Buoy Medical Review Team
10 Possible Joint Stiffness Causes
The list below shows results from the use of our quiz by Buoy users who experienced joint stiffness. This list does not constitute medical advice and may not accurately represent what you have.
Ankle arthritis
Arthritis simply means inflammation of the joints. Because the feet and ankles have many small joints and carry the weight of the body, they are often the first place that arthritis appears.
Arthritis is caused by a breakdown in the protective cartilage at the end of each joint, so that the bones begin to wear against each other and the joint becomes stiff and painful. This breakdown may be due to simple wear and tear; an injury; or from rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition which causes the body to break down its own cartilage.
Symptoms include swelling, warmth, and redness in the joint, and pain with movement or with pressure on the joint.
Diagnosis is made through patient history, physical examination, and imaging such as x-rays, CT scan, or MRI.
There is no cure for arthritis, but treatment is important because the symptoms can be managed to prevent further damage, ease pain, and improve quality of life. Treatment involves physical therapy, pain-relieving medications, and sometimes surgery to help repair damaged joints.
Rarity: Uncommon
Top Symptoms: swollen ankle, swollen foot, joint stiffness, pain in one ankle, ankle stiffness
Urgency: Self-treatment
Mild/moderate hip arthritis
Arthritis of the hip is inflammation of one or more of the joints in the hip. Pain, swelling, and stiffness are the primary symptoms of arthritis. Hip arthritis can make it hard to do many everyday activities, such as walking or climbing stairs. It is a major cause of lost work time and a serious disability for many people.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: hip pain, difficulty walking, pain in one hip, limping, groin pain
Symptoms that always occur with mild/moderate hip arthritis: hip pain
Symptoms that never occur with mild/moderate hip arthritis: severe hip pain
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Knee arthritis
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of the joints. Pain, swelling, and stiffness are the primary symptoms of arthritis. Any joint in the body may be affected by the disease, but it is particularly common in the knee.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: pain in both knees, knee stiffness, knee instability, swollen knee, morning joint stiffness
Symptoms that always occur with knee arthritis: pain in both knees
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Lower back arthritis
Osteoarthritis, most often simply called arthritis, is a disease of cartilage. In joints, where bones touch and move against one another, cartilage helps provide lubrication for smooth movement, and acts as a shock absorber. Cartilage is also present in between vertebrae, which are the bones comprising the spine. Osteoarthritis of the spine, also known as degenerative joint disease, happens when the cartilage between vertebrae dries out and shrinks. The vertebrae are thus not as able to move smoothly against one another. The ability to walk and perform normal daily activities can be impaired due to inflammation and pain in the lower back.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: lower back pain, spontaneous back pain, back pain that gets worse when straightening it, back pain from overuse
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Shoulder arthritis
Shoulder arthritis is inflammation of the shoulder joint, where the upper arm bone (humerus) meets the shoulder blade (scapula) and collarbone (clavicle). This inflammation can be caused by osteoarthritis or "wear-and-tear," injury to the shoulder joints, rotator cuff injuries, or r...
Joint Stiffness Symptom Checker
Take a quiz to find out what might be causing your joint stiffness
Rheumatoid arthritis
Arthritis is a general term for multiple conditions that cause painful inflammation and stiffness throughout the body. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition that is autoimmune in nature, meaning that the body's immune system which normally protects the body by att...
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a condition which causes inflammation of the joints. In most circumstances, psoriatic arthritis presents between the ages of 30 and 50 years and occurs after the manifestation of the symptoms of psoriasis, which is a disease of the skin. Psoriatic arthritis...
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a set of chronic symptoms that include ongoing fatigue, diffuse tenderness to touch, musculoskeletal pain, and usually some degree of depression.
The cause is not known. When fibromyalgia appears, it is usually after a stressful physical or emotional event such as an automobile accident or a divorce. It may include a genetic component where the person experiences normal sensation as pain.
Almost 90% of fibromyalgia sufferers are women. Anyone with rheumatic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, may be more prone to fibromyalgia.
Poor sleep is often a symptom, along with foggy thinking, headaches, painful menstrual periods, and increased sensitivity to heat, cold, bright lights, and loud noises.
There is no standard test for fibromyalgia. The diagnosis is usually made when the above symptoms go on for three months or more with no apparent cause.
Fibromyalgia does not go away on its own but does not get worse, either.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: fatigue, arthralgias or myalgias, anxiety, depressed mood, headache
Symptoms that always occur with fibromyalgia: arthralgias or myalgias
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Lupus
Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that happens when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells, tissues, and organs. Lupus is also a systemic disease and can affect multiple body systems including the heart, lungs, joints and even skin.
Since lupus can affect multiple organ systems, symptoms can...
Giant cell arteriis
Giant cell arteritis is a disorder that causes inflammation of arteries of the scalp, neck, and arms. It narrows the arteries, which keeps blood from flowing well.
Rarity: Rare
Top Symptoms: fatigue, joint pain, new headache, fever, muscle aches
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Real-life Stories
Once your story is reviewed and approved by our editors, it will live on Buoy as a helpful resource for anyone who may be dealing with something similar. If you want to learn more, try Buoy Assistant.
Questions Your Doctor May Ask About Joint Stiffness
To diagnose this condition, your doctor would likely ask the following questions:
- Have you ever been diagnosed with diabetes?
- Do you feel the joint stiffness as soon as you wake up in the morning?
- What is your body mass?
- Have you been feeling more tired than usual, lethargic or fatigued despite sleeping a normal amount?
If you've answered yes to one or more of these questions
Joint Stiffness Symptom Checker
Take a quiz to find out what might be causing your joint stiffness
Joint Stiffness Symptom Checker Statistics
People who have experienced joint stiffness have also experienced:
- 11% Pain In One Shoulder
- 4% Joint Pain
- 4% Fatigue
People who have experienced joint stiffness were most often matched with:
- 42% Mild/Moderate Hip Arthritis
- 42% Knee Arthritis
- 14% Ankle Arthritis
Source: Aggregated and anonymized results from Buoy Assistant (a.k.a. the quiz).
Joint Stiffness Symptom Checker
Take a quiz to find out what might be causing your joint stiffness
No ads, doctor reviewed. Let's crack your symptom code together - like us on Facebook to follow along.