Warm Joints
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Try one of these related symptoms.
One or more joints feel warm
Knees hot, no pain
Joint pain and redness
Joint has heat
Burning joint pain
Joints warm and painful
Feels like my joints are burning
Red warm joints
Joints feel like they are on fire
Hot joints
About the Symptom
This refers to one or more of the joints feeling warm to the touch compared to the surrounding skin accompanied by redness, swelling and pain. Most commonly it is caused by trauma, infection or inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or gout.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Erythema
- Fever
- Swelling of the affected area
- Numbness / sensory disorder
- Edema
- Gross hematuria
Possible Causes
Generally, Warm joints can be related to:
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
An autoimmune disease caused by the body's immune system attacking organs and cells. The exact cause is unclear, but risk factors include being female, childbearing age, and heredity. SLE may involve nearly every organ system in the body with a wide range of potential symptoms that often wax and wane over time.
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a type of arthritis that occurs in children under 16 years old. It's a chronic condition characterized by joint pain and swelling that can last for months or years. It affects one or more joints for at least 6 weeks. JIA occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues The cause of JIA is unknown.
- Gout / Pseudogout
Gout and pseudogout are diseases caused by inflammation and crystal accumulation in the joints. Gout results from uric acid crystals, while pseudogout stems from calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Both are marked by sudden, painful swelling in one or more joints. Gout attacks can be triggered by eating purine-rich foods like seafood, alcohol, and red meat, while pseudogout may be due to joint injury, surgery, or immune issues.
- Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Behcet's Disease
- Adult Still's Disease
- Sjogren Syndrome
- Psoriatic Arthritis
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Warm joints may be related to these serious diseases:
- Rheumatic Fever
This disease can occur after an episode of streptococcal pharyngitis ("strep throat"). Some patients may experience inflammation of the heart leading to damage of the heart valves. Prompt antibiotic treatment is important to prevent heart problems.
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you feel warmth in your joints?
- How often do you experience warmth in your joints?
- How long have you had hot joints?
- How has the feeling of hotness in your joints changed since it started?
Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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- My joints feel like they are burning
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FAQs
Q.
Feeling Dizzy? Why Your Blood Pressure Is Low & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Dizziness from low blood pressure, or hypotension, is often due to dehydration, standing up too quickly, or medications, but it can sometimes point to heart or endocrine problems, severe infection, or allergic reactions. There are several factors to consider, and important details that can change your next steps are explained below. For now, lie down with legs elevated, hydrate, stand up slowly, and check your readings correctly; if symptoms persist or include fainting, chest pain, confusion, shortness of breath, or signs of shock, seek urgent care and review the full, medically approved plan and red flag guidance below.
References:
* Vaidya, P. P., Hess, M. A., & Goldman, M. (2020). Orthostatic Hypotension. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. PMID: 32646695
* Fedorowski, A., & Melander, O. (2020). Orthostatic Hypotension: A Practical Guide to Investigation and Management. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, 280. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00280. PMID: 32338692
* Raj, S. R., & Diedrich, A. (2018). Management of Orthostatic Hypotension. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 71(23), 2736-2738. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.04.038. PMID: 29884568
* Palma, J. A., & Kaufmann, H. (2017). Nonpharmacologic and Pharmacologic Treatments for Orthostatic Hypotension. Neurotherapeutics, 14(4), 932-949. doi:10.1007/s13311-017-0589-9. PMID: 29141011
* Brignole, M. (2021). Diagnosis and Management of Syncope. Heart, 107(18), 1469-1476. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2020-318320. PMID: 34509756
Q.
Joints Still Ache? Why Voltaren Gel Fails & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
If Voltaren gel is not relieving your joint pain, common reasons include the wrong diagnosis, pain coming from deeper joints, incorrect dosing or frequency, or progressed disease, and it tends to work best only for superficial osteoarthritis in hands and knees. Medically approved next steps include confirming the cause with an exam and tests, considering safe oral NSAIDs, targeted physical therapy and weight management, injections, advanced imaging, rheumatology referral, and in severe cases surgery, with urgent care needed for a red hot swollen joint, fever, or inability to bear weight. See complete guidance and decision points below, which can affect which step you should take next.
References:
* Predel, H.-G., Lux, B., Huth, A., & Stoschitzky, K. (2018). Topical diclofenac for the treatment of osteoarthritis: a review of efficacy and safety. *Arthritis Research & Therapy*, *20*(1), 1–11.
* Miller, R. E., & Malfait, A. M. (2019). Pathophysiology and treatment of osteoarthritis pain. *Current Opinion in Rheumatology*, *31*(1), 74–81.
* Kolasinski, S. L., Neogi, A., Hochberg, M. C., Oatis, K., Guyatt, G., Block, J., … & Lupu, V. (2020). 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee. *Arthritis & Rheumatology*, *72*(2), 220–233.
* Bannuru, R. R., Schmid, C. H., Kent, D. M., Gill, C., Wong, J. B., & Wang, C. (2020). Nonpharmacologic Therapies for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. *Annals of Internal Medicine*, *173*(8), 619–630.
* Sofat, N., Ejaz, S., & Hussain, S. (2020). Current and future pharmacological targets for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. *Rheumatology*, *59*(Suppl_4), iv57–iv68.
Q.
Is It Bursitis? Why Your Joint Is Inflaming + Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Painful, warm swelling around a shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, or heel that worsens with movement is often bursitis from repetitive motion, pressure, injury, or conditions like gout or rheumatoid arthritis, though infection must be ruled out if there is fever, rapid redness, or severe tenderness. There are several factors to consider, and other problems can mimic bursitis, so diagnosis may need an exam plus imaging or fluid testing. Initial next steps are rest, ice 15 to 20 minutes 2 to 3 times daily, short-term NSAIDs if safe, gentle motion, compression or elevation when appropriate, and physical therapy, with steroid injection or antibiotics when indicated. For red flags or symptoms lasting over 1 to 2 weeks, talk to a clinician and see the complete guidance below.
References:
* Khodaee, M., & Khodaee, M. (2023). Bursitis: Diagnosis and Treatment. *American family physician*, *107*(2), 166–172.
* Russo, S. J., & Young, C. (2023). Bursitis. In *StatPearls*. StatPearls Publishing.
* Glick, J. A., & Kaplan, J. A. (2021). The Inflamed Bursa. *Clinics in sports medicine*, *40*(3), 395–407.
* Prakash, A., & Gupta, A. (2019). Bursitis. *Indian journal of orthopaedics*, *53*(3), 317–327.
* Falcone, L. M., & Pace, J. L. (2023). Common Musculoskeletal Conditions. *Primary care: Clinics in office practice*, *50*(2), 271–285.
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Frank FA, Peduzzi N, Brugger R, Morgenstern M, Cadosch D, Clauss M. Die septische Arthritis [Septic arthritis]. Ther Umsch. 2023 Feb;80(1):39-44. German. doi: 10.1024/0040-5930/a001405. PMID: 36659842.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36659842/