What Can Cause Pain in Multiple Joints?

Various arthritis disorders and some autoimmune disorders, as well as other conditions, may cause pain in multiple joints.

Joints are the parts of the body where the bones meet that allow movement of the body. Joint pain is called arthralgia and joint inflammation is called arthritis. 

Polyarticular joint pain (polyarthralgia) is pain that involves multiple joints. Polyarticular joint disorders may affect different joints at different times.

Hair loss (alopecia) can be a genetic part of aging, or it can be exacerbated by lifestyle or medical conditions.

Joint pain may be accompanied by symptoms such as: 

• Joint inflammation 
• Warmth
• Swelling 
• Skin redness in the joint area
• Bruising or bleeding, if caused by injury

There are many possible causes of pain in multiple joints, including:

• Forms of arthritis 
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Polyarthritis 
  • Viral arthritis 
  • Postinfectious or reactive arthritis
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
  • Enteropathic arthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Gout or calcium pyrophosphate arthritis (pseudogout)
• Fibromyalgia
• Bursitis or tendinitis in multiple joints
• Soft tissue abnormalities
• Hypothyroidism
• Nerve (neuropathic) pain
• Metabolic bone disease
• Bone infection
• Depression
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Injuries such as sprains

Pain in multiple joints is diagnosed with a physical examination of the joints and a history of symptoms.

Tests that may be indicated to help diagnose the cause of pain in multiple joints include: 

• Arthrocentesis for synovial fluid analysis 
• Blood tests
  • White blood cell count with differential 
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
  • C-reactive protein
  • Antibody tests 
  • Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test
  • Rheumatoid factor 
  • Antibodies to citrullinated peptides 
  • Uric acid concentration 
• Imaging studies
  • X-rays for chronic arthritis
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
  • Ultrasound 
• Urinalysis
• Tissue biopsy

Treatment for pain in multiple joints involves treating the underlying disorder and may include:

• Medications
  • Pain medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and celecoxib (Celebrex)
  • Topical NSAIDs applied to the skin
  • Topical capsaicin
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain without inflammation 
  • Steroid injections into the joints 
  • Antibiotics for bacterial joint infections
  • Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) 
    • Traditional DMARDs: methotrexate and sulfasalazine, 
    • Targeted biologic agents: etanercept, adalimumab, abatacept, and tocilizumab
    • Targeted synthetic DMARDs: tofacitinib
• Joint immobilization with a splint or sling 
• Heat or cold therapy 
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Surgery in severe cases
  • Joint realignment
  • Joint fusion 
  • Joint replacement