Joint pain and aches are one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care. From knee pain when climbing stairs to stiffness in the hands, hips, or lower back, achy joints can interfere with daily routines, mobility, and overall quality of life. While many people experience joint pain as a normal part of aging or overuse, some symptoms may signal an underlying condition that requires a physician’s attention.
Meagan S. Lambert, MSN, FNP-BC, a nurse practitioner at Tryon Medical Partners, regularly evaluates patients who come in after months of persistent joint pain and aches. FNP-BC Lambert emphasizes that understanding the cause of joint pain and aches is the first step toward effective treatment and long-term joint health.
What are joint pain and aches, and what causes them?
Joint pain and aches refer to discomfort, stiffness, or inflammation in one or more joints, where bones meet. The most common cause is osteoarthritis, often described as wear-and-tear arthritis.
“Osteoarthritis is the progressive loss of cartilage over time,” FNP-BC Lambert says. “It’s something we tend to see more as people enter their 40s and beyond. While the cartilage loss is irreversible, we can treat the symptoms of joint pain and aches and improve their quality of life.”
Other causes of joint pain and aches include inflammatory arthritis, where the immune system attacks the joints, leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis fall into this category. Gout is another type of inflammatory arthritis, though it is not autoimmune.
“With autoimmune arthritis, people are often born with a predisposition,” FNP-BC Lambert notes. “Something like stress, illness, or infection may trigger it, but we don’t always know why joint pain and aches begin.”
How can you tell normal wear-and-tear joint pain and aches from something more serious?
Not all joint pain and aches are the same, and recognizing patterns can help determine when to seek care.
Wear-and-tear joint pain and aches typically:
- Affect weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips
- Cause pain during activity, such as walking up or down stairs
- Improve with movement and loosen up after a warm shower
- Worsen after overuse and improve with rest
“With normal wear-and-tear joint pain, patients often say they feel stiff in the morning but can walk it off fairly quickly,” FNP-BC Lambert explains.
Inflammatory or autoimmune joint pain and aches may include:
- Persistent swelling, warmth, or redness
- Pain and stiffness lasting for hours
- Symptoms occurring daily for several months
- Fatigue or unintentional weight loss
“If someone tells me they’re stiff when they wake up and still stiff by lunchtime, that raises concern,” FNP-BC Lambert says.
Injury-related joint pain and aches tend to come on suddenly after a fall or twisting injury. “If you’ve had a fall and pain persists, that’s a reason to see a healthcare provider right away,” she advises.
What causes joint pain all over the body?
When joint pain and aches affect multiple joints rather than a single area, inflammatory conditions are often considered.
“With rheumatoid arthritis, it’s common for multiple joints to be involved—sometimes five or more at a time,” FNP-BC Lambert explains. Patients experiencing widespread joint pain and aches may also notice fatigue, weakness, or a general sense that something isn’t right.
Some inflammatory conditions affect specific areas, such as the sacroiliac (SI) joints near the lower back. “Inflammatory back pain behaves differently,” FNP-BC Lambert says. “It can wake people up at night, make it hard to sit for long periods, and actually improves with activity rather than rest.”
This differs from mechanical back pain, which typically worsens with movement and improves with rest.
What is the connection between menopause and joint pain?
Many women report new joint pain and aches during menopause. “I see a lot of women who come in with joint pain, weight gain, and fatigue, and after evaluation, they don’t have inflammatory arthritis,” FNP-BC Lambert says. “There is clearly a hormonal component to joint pain and aches.”
Some patients notice improvement in joint pain and fatigue with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and FNP-BC Lambert may refer patients to gynecology for further evaluation.
Fatigue can also signal autoimmune disease. “When the body is attacking joints or organs, fatigue is often part of the larger disease process,” she explains. “If you experience extreme fatigue alongside joint pain, you should be evaluated by a medical professional.”
What treatments are available for joint pain and aches?
Treatment for joint pain and aches depends on the cause.
For osteoarthritis, treatment focuses on symptom relief, including:
- Pain relievers, such as acetaminophen
- Joint injections
- Physical therapy
For inflammatory or autoimmune arthritis, medications are used to slow or stop disease progression. “What we worry about most is chronic inflammation causing permanent joint damage,” FNP-BC Lambert says.
Lifestyle changes are important for managing all types of joint pain and aches. “Low-impact exercise and weight management are the two biggest modifiable factors,” FNP-BC Lambert emphasizes. “For every pound of weight lost, about 3 to 4 pounds of pressure are taken off the knee joints.”
Are supplements effective for joint pain and aches?
Many patients ask about the best supplement for joint pain and aches. FNP-BC Lambert recommends approaching supplements thoughtfully.
“Turmeric has some evidence supporting its role as a natural anti-inflammatory,” she says. “But supplements still need to be processed by the body, so it’s important not to exceed recommended doses.”
Collagen supplements are commonly used for joint pain and aches, though evidence is limited.
“I don’t tell patients not to take them, but I can’t point to strong data,” FNP-BC Lambert explains. She suggests trying a supplement consistently for two to three months and discontinuing if there’s no benefit. Supplements are not all well-regulated and may have interactions with other prescription medications that need to be considered.
When should you see a physician for joint pain and aches?
Joint pain and aches lasting longer than three months, swelling or warmth in multiple joints, fatigue, or pain that disrupts sleep or daily activities should be evaluated. “Rheumatology helps differentiate autoimmune conditions from osteoarthritis,” FNP-BC Lambert says, “but it often starts with your primary care clinician.”
If joint pain and aches are affecting your quality of life, the team at Tryon Medical Partners can help. Visit our Rheumatology specialty page to learn more or schedule an appointment.
