Muscles, Bones & Joints

Symptoms of muscles, bones and joints: aches, pains, stiffness, swelling, cramps, weakness and injuries in the back, neck, shoulders, limbs and joints. These pages cover strains, arthritis patterns and nerve-related pain, and flag the injuries and infections that need urgent care.

This page lists all 20 of them in the guide. Open any symptom for its possible causes, red-flag list and frequently asked questions.

Symptom	Category	What it can feel like
A joint that locks or gives way	Muscles & Joints	A joint that locks cannot be fully straightened or bent, as if something is jammed inside it; a joint that gives way suddenly buckles under you. True locking — a…
Aching and stiffness in the shoulders and hips	Muscles & Joints	Aching and stiffness centred on the shoulders and hips in someone over 50 — worst in the morning, making it hard to dress, comb hair or climb stairs, and easing as the…
Aching muscles	Muscles & Joints	Aching muscles (myalgia) is the familiar soreness after unaccustomed effort, the all-over ache of flu, or a localised pain after strain. It is almost always benign and…
Ankle pain	Muscles & Joints	Ankle pain most often follows a sprain — the ankle rolling inwards, stretching or tearing the ligaments on the outer side — with pain, swelling and bruising. Gradual…
Back pain	Muscles & Joints	Back pain is pain in the back — most often the lower back — ranging from a dull ache after gardening to pain that stops you standing straight. It is one of the commonest…
Elbow pain	Muscles & Joints	Elbow pain usually comes from the tendons attaching around the joint rather than the joint itself: pain on the outer side with gripping is tennis elbow, on the inner…
Foot pain	Muscles & Joints	Foot pain covers a large territory: the ball of the foot (aching or burning after standing), the arch, the toes (bunions, hammer toes, gout in the big toe), and pain…
Heel pain	Muscles & Joints	Heel pain is most often felt under the heel, worst with the first steps after rest — getting out of bed in the morning is classic — easing as you get moving, then aching…
Hip pain	Muscles & Joints	Hip pain is usually felt in the groin or front of the thigh when it truly comes from the hip joint; pain on the outer side of the hip is more often the tendons and fluid…
Joint pain	Muscles & Joints	Joint pain (arthralgia) means pain in one or more joints, with or without swelling and stiffness. The pattern is the diagnosis: how many joints, large or small, how long…
Joint stiffness	Muscles & Joints	Joint stiffness means a joint needs time and movement to free up — most noticeable first thing in the morning or after sitting. It is the sensation of the joint being…
Knee pain	Muscles & Joints	Knee pain is pain in or around the knee — front, sides, back, or deep inside — often with swelling, stiffness, clicking or giving way. The knee is the largest joint and…
Leg cramps at night	Muscles & Joints	Leg cramps at night are sudden, painful calf or foot contractions that wake you from sleep, forcing you to stretch or stand before they release. They become commoner…
Muscle cramps	Muscles & Joints	A muscle cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful contraction of a muscle — classically the calf or foot — that locks the muscle rock-hard for seconds to minutes before…
Neck pain	Muscles & Joints	Neck pain is pain in and around the neck, often with stiffness and reduced turning of the head. It is commonly muscular — sleeping awkwardly, desk posture, stress — and…
Sciatica	Muscles & Joints	Sciatica is pain that travels from the lower back or buttock down the back of the leg, sometimes to the foot, often with tingling, pins and needles or numbness in the…
Shoulder pain	Muscles & Joints	Shoulder pain is pain in and around the shoulder joint, often worse reaching overhead, lying on that side, or doing up clothing behind the back. The shoulder's wide…
Swollen joints	Muscles & Joints	A swollen joint means fluid or thickened lining has increased the joint's size — it looks puffy, feels tight, and movement is limited. One joint or many, sudden or…
Widespread muscle aches	Muscles & Joints	Widespread muscle aches mean pain felt across much of the body — both sides, above and below the waist — often with profound fatigue, unrefreshing sleep and difficulty…
Wrist pain	Muscles & Joints	Wrist pain most often follows a fall onto an outstretched hand, overuse of the tendons, or ganglion cysts appearing on the back of the wrist. Because the small wrist…

Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

Muscles, Bones & Joints

Medical Videos

Explore

Calculators

Company