Joint That Does Not Move
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Knee does not move
Hip joint does not move
Difficulty moving a joint
Ankle does not move
It is difficult to move each step
Left elbow does not move
Left knee does not move
Right elbow does not move
Right knee does not move
Both knees do not move
About the Symptom
It the sensation of difficulty moving a joint or the apparent loss of range of motion of a joint. Joint stiffness may sometimes follow a pattern: worse in the morning that gets better with movement or worse at the end of a the day after lots of movement. It is often accompanied by pain and swelling.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Involuntary movements
- Numbness / sensory disorder
- Numbness of lower limbs
- Recent weight loss
- Muscle weakness in the limbs
- History of cerebrovascular disorder
- Muscle pain (myalgia)
Possible Causes
Generally, Joint that does not move can be related to:
- Adhesive Capsulitis
Also known as "frozen shoulder". This condition is caused by inflammation of the ligaments and capsule around the shoulder joint. As the disease progresses, patients find it increasingly difficult to move the shoulder joint. Risk factors include diabetes, thyroid conditions, age, and injury to the joint.
- Femoral Head Necrosis
A condition where the top of the hip bone is damaged and dies due to poor blood supply. It can be caused by direct injury to the bone (e.g., a fracture or dislocation) or indirect injury (e.g., alcohol, smoking, medications, or radiotherapy).
- Spasticity
Spasticity is abnormal muscle tightness due to extended muscle contraction. It is typically linked to damage to the spinal cord, brain, or nerves.
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
- Osteoarthritis (OA)
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Joint that does not move may be related to these serious diseases:
- Femoral Neck Fracture
A break in the proximal femur at the level of the hip. This fracture is associated with a high risk of complications
- Septic Arthritis
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do your joints feel stiff and hard to move?
- Have you had difficulty moving your joint(s) before?
- How has your joint movement difficulty changed over time?
- How long have you had difficulty moving the joint(s)?
- How hard is it to move your stiff joints?
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.
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedics)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Watson H, Lynggård Hansen A, Calusi G, Bartels LE. Musculoskeletal stiffness is common in healthy adults and increases with age. Musculoskeletal Care. 2021 Mar;19(1):3-8. doi: 10.1002/msc.1501. Epub 2020 Aug 18. PMID: 32812344.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32812344/