Joint pain is common, especially as you get older. There are things you can do to ease the pain but get medical help if it's very painful or it does not get better.
Common types of joint pain include:
- knee pain
- shoulder pain
- hip pain
- foot pain, including your ankle and toes
- hand pain, including your wrist and fingers
- elbow pain
- neck pain
You might feel pain in 1 joint, or more than 1 joint at the same time, such as your knees and hips.
There are many possible causes of joint pain. It might be caused by an injury or a longer-lasting problem such as arthritis.
Your symptoms might give you an idea what could be causing the pain. But do not self-diagnose, see a GP if you're worried.
There are some things you can do to ease joint pain.
See a GP if:
- joint pain is stopping you doing normal activities or affecting your sleep
- the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
- the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
- your joints are stiff for more than 30 minutes after waking up
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
- you have joint pain and the skin around it is swollen and feels hot
- you have joint pain and feel generally unwell and have a high temperature or feel hot and shivery
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
Go to A&E or call 999 if:
- you have very bad joint pain after a fall or injury
- you're unable to walk or put weight on a joint
- your joint has moved out of place
- you have any tingling or you have no feeling in the area around the joint after an injury
Treatment for joint pain depends on what's causing it. Sometimes the pain might go away without treatment.
A GP might:
- prescribe stronger painkillers
- prescribe antibiotics if they think you have an infection
- refer you for physiotherapy
- refer you to a hospital for a scan or specialist treatment, for example steroid injections or surgery