Morning Stiffness in Joints
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Long stiffness in the morning (>1 hr)
Hands stiff early in the morning
Can't move my joints smoothly in the morning
About the Symptom
Morning stiffness is the sensation of difficulty moving a joint or the apparent loss of range of motion of a joint that occurs in the morning usually after getting up. Many times it may improve with increased movement over the course of the day.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Morning stiffness in joints
Possible Causes
Generally, Morning stiffness in joints can be related to:
- 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.
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of unknown cause. It typically affects women more than men over the age of 50. Classic symptoms include pain in the neck, shoulders, hips, upper arms and thighs.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
A chronic inflammatory disease where the body's immune system attacks multiple joints, most commonly in the hands and feet. The cause and trigger is unknown.
- Peri-/Post-Menopausal Symptoms
- Tenosynovitis
- Scleroderma
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
- Neuropathic Pain
- Lumbar Spondylosis
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you have prolonged morning joint stiffness?
- How would you describe the progression of your joint stiffness in the morning since it first began?
- How long have you had joint stiffness lasting for more than an hour in the morning?
- Have you experienced prolonged morning joint stiffness?
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.
Kaito Nakamura, MD (Rheumatology)
Dr. Nakamura is a rheumatologist who has practiced in the Ota Nishinouchi Hospital attached to Ota General Hospital, National Health Insurance Matsudo City Hospital, Chiba University Hospital, and the National Health Insurance Asahi Central Hospital.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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- Joint stiffness lasts more than an hour in the morning
- Prolonged stiffness in the morning (more than 1 hour)
- Morning stiffness usually lasts more than 1 hours
- Long morning stiffness (lasting more than 1 hour)
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Lineker S, Badley E, Charles C, Hart L, Streiner D. Defining morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1999 May;26(5):1052-7. PMID: 10332967.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10332967/#:~:text=Results%3A%20These%20findings%20resulted%20in,and%20gets%20better%20with%20movement.