Joint Stiffness
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI
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 Dec 6, 2023
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Stiff knee
Loss of range of motion
Stiff hand
Knee stiffness
Stiff ankles
Spine stiff
Stiff forearm
Right hand is stiff
Left arm is stiff
Left toe is stiff
Stiff toes
Finger stiff
How Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Joint Stiffness quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- The little finger of the right hand is stiff
- The little finger of the right foot is stiff
- The middle finger of the right foot is stiff
- The middle finger of the right hand is stiff
- The middle finger of the left hand is stiff
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizAbout the Symptom
Joint stiffness is 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
- Muscle weakness in the limbs
- Difficulty breathing / breathlessness
- Gross hematuria
- Swelling of the affected area
- Low back pain
- Recent weight loss
- Fever
- Disorder of consciousness
- Fainting with loss of consciousness
- Altered mental status (delirium)
- Numbness / sensory disorder
- Repeated fever above 38 ℃
- Dysphagia
- Impossible to walk normally
Possible Causes
Generally, Joint stiffness can be related to:
- 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.
- Fibromyalgia
A condition causing widespread pain and muscle aches throughout the body that may come and go with certain identified triggers. The cause is not well understood.
- 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)
- Adhesive Capsulitis
- Lumbar Vertebrae Disk Herniation
- Neuropathic Pain
- Behcet's Disease
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Joint stiffness may be related to these serious diseases:
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
This is a rare and serious reaction to certain medications. Symptoms usually begin within hours to days after exposure to the medication but can sometimes occur up to a month after starting it. Common causative medications include antipsychotics and occasionally drugs used to treat or prevent vomiting, Parkinson's disease, etc. Symptoms include dangerously high body temperature, muscular rigidity, and severe agitation and altered mental status.
- Cellulitis / Erysipelas
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Are your joints stiff?
- How long have you had joint stiffness?
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizFind Similar Symptoms
Similar symptoms or complaints
Symptoms from similar body parts
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
References
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/
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.
What People Say about Ubie?
Male, 30s
I got more answers in one minute through your site than I did in three hours with Google.
(Sep 29, 2024)
Male, 20s
My experience was great. I was worried, but the symptom checker helped me narrow down what it might be. I feel a little relieved compared to when I first started, and it gives me a starting point for what my symptoms could mean.
(Sep 27, 2024)
Male, 50s
The questions asked and possible causes seemed spot on, putting me at ease for a next-step solution.
(Sep 26, 2024)
Female, 40s
I was actually very impressed with the results it provided because, although I didn’t mention it during the questionnaire because I thought it was unrelated, it suggested I may have something I’ve actually been diagnosed with in the past.
(Sep 25, 2024)
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1