Sudden pain in all the joints can be a symptom of several conditions, including infections, gout, ME/CFS, and some autoimmune conditions. It can also be an indication of complications after an illness, such as post-viral syndrome or reactive arthritis.
Sudden joint pain that occurs all over the body may signal the onset of a chronic condition, such as osteoarthritis, lupus or fibromyalgia, or even an infectious disease such as influenza or the mumps.
If your joint pain wasn't caused by an injury, make an appointment with your doctor if: Your joint pain, stiffness and/or swelling lasts three days or more. You have several flare-ups of joint symptoms within one month.
The most common viruses causing arthritis and/or arthralgias are parvovirus, the alphaviruses, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and tropical viruses, such as Zika and chikungunya (CHIKV).
Depending on the type of arthritis, symptoms can develop suddenly or gradually over time. Symptoms may come and go, or persist over time.
Acute pain in multiple joints is most often due to inflammation, gout, or the beginning or flare up of a chronic joint disorder. Chronic pain in multiple joints is usually due to osteoarthritis or an inflammatory disorder (such as rheumatoid arthritis) or, in children, juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Normally, your immune system helps protect your body from infection and disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your joints. It can also cause medical problems with your heart, lungs, nerves, eyes and skin.
Lupus can also cause inflammation in the joints, which doctors call “inflammatory arthritis.” It can make your joints hurt and feel stiff, tender, warm, and swollen. Lupus arthritis most often affects joints that are farther from the middle of your body, like your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and toes.
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain and tenderness all over your body. Unlike arthritis, this isn't because you have problems with your joints, bones or muscles.
Symptoms are usually severe and include fever, redness, and swelling at the joint and intense pain that worsens with movement. In infants, symptoms may include a fever, the inability to move the limb with the infected joint, and crying when the infected joint is moved.
Fatigue and arthritis
Fatigue can be linked to many types of arthritis and related conditions. It's commonly a symptom of autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis and lupus. In autoimmune conditions the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy tissues.
Musculoskeletal pain
Back, neck and joint pain can be indirectly caused by MS, particularly for people who have problems walking or moving around that puts pressure on their lower back or hips.
Lupus and Scleroderma
The autoimmune diseases systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are two separate conditions but often present with joint involvement that mimics rheumatoid arthritis. One key difference between arthritis and lupus or scleroderma is the source of joint pain and deformity.
Foods such as red meat, dairy, pastry, and beverages containing caffeine and alcohol trigger systemic inflammation, aggravating the autoimmune disease. If you are struggling with this condition, check out the most common foods that worsen autoimmune diseases so you can avoid them altogether.
Do you know that one of the most vital nutrients that promote bone health is Vitamin D? Yes, multiple studies show that a deficiency of this vitamin can lead to joint pain and swelling. As Vitamin D is required for bone building and bone health, therefore a deficiency of it will negatively affect the bones.
RICE method.
If you think your joint inflammation is due to a sudden injury, the RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) method is the first line of treatment to reduce pain and swelling. See an orthopedist if the pain and swelling don't diminish after RICE treatment.
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed based primarily on having pain all over the body, along with other symptoms. Currently, there are no specific laboratory or imaging tests for fibromyalgia.