Joint Pain (Arthralgia)

Arthralgia (synonyms: Joint pain; joint discomfort; Greek. Arthro for “joint,” -algia for “pain“; ICD-10-GM M25.5-: Joint pain) refers to joint pain of varying pathogenesis (disease development).

Arthralgia, in contrast to arthritis (inflammation of the joint), has no classic signs of inflammation such as swelling, redness or hyperthermia.

Arthralgia can occur in the context of osteoarthritis, trauma (contusions, dislocations, meniscal lesions), but also in general diseases such as hyperuricemia/gout or infectious diseases (influenza/flu, chickenpox, measles, rubella). Arthralgia is a very common reason for consultation in clinical practice and can be a symptom of many diseases (see under “Differential diagnoses”).

The following joints are particularly commonly affected by arthralgia:

  • Shoulder joint (omalgia/shoulder joint pain).
  • Wrist (wrist arthralgia)
  • Hip joint (coxalgia / hip pain)
  • Knee joint (gonalgia / knee pain)
  • Ankle joint (ankle arthralgia)

(See this under the topics of the same name).

The following forms of arthralgia are distinguished:

  • Start-up pain – manifested at the onset of activity; typical in degenerative joint disease.
  • Night pain or pain at rest – especially in inflammatory diseases of the joints or when overloaded degeneratively altered joints.
  • Strain pain – only when the respective joint is loaded, at rest no pain is felt; in traumatic lesions of a joint, inflammatory or degenerative changes.

Frequency peak: arthralgias caused by degenerative joint changes occur mainly in older age.

Figures on the prevalence (frequency) are not known, because arthralgia is usually a symptom of a wide variety of diseases.

Course and prognosis: The treatment of the disease causing the joint pain is in the foreground. Otherwise, destruction of the affected joint with permanent pain and loss of function may occur.