Joint stiffness may be either the
symptom
Signs and symptoms are diagnostic indications of an illness, injury, or condition.
Signs are objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported subjective experiences.
A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature ...
of pain on moving a joint, the symptom of loss of range of motion or the
physical sign of reduced range of motion.
* Pain on movement is commonly caused by
osteoarthritis, often in quite minor degrees, and other forms of arthritis. It may also be caused by injury or overuse and rarely by more complex causes of pain such as infection or neoplasm. The range of motion may be normal or limited by pain. "Morning stiffness" pain which eases up after the joint has been used, is characteristic of
rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and h ...
.
* Loss of motion (
symptom
Signs and symptoms are diagnostic indications of an illness, injury, or condition.
Signs are objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported subjective experiences.
A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature ...
): the patient notices that the joint (or many joints) do not move as far as they used to or need to. Loss of motion is a feature of more advanced stages of arthritis including
osteoarthritis,
rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and h ...
and
ankylosing spondylitis.
* Loss of range of motion (
sign): the examining medical professional notes that the range of motion of the joint is less than normal. Routine examination by an
orthopaedic surgeon or
rheumatologist will often pay particular attention to this. The range of motion may be measured and compared to the other side and to normal ranges. This sign is associated with the same causes as the symptom. The loss of range of motion in the joint may be due to a
contracture. In extreme cases when the joint does not move at all it is said to be
ankylosed.
See also
*
Flexibility (anatomy)
Flexibility is the anatomy, anatomical range of motion, range of movement in a joint or series of joints, and length in muscles that cross the joints to induce a bending movement or motion. Flexibility varies between individuals, particularly i ...
*
Contracture
References
External links
{{Acquired musculoskeletal deformities
Arthropathies