When is it time to see a doctor for joint pain?

The University of Kentucky Public Relations & Strategic Communications Office provides a weekly health column available for use and reprint by news media. This week’s column is by Kolt Pruitt, D.O., assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at the University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 30, 2026) — As we move into spring, it’s common for people to increase their daily movement with activities like outdoor walks, yard work, pickleball and race training. Soreness is a normal result, but sometimes lingering pain can be a sign something else is going on. It’s important to be able to identify what is a normal ache and what could need further medical attention.

What is considered normal joint pain?

When increasing activity, mild soreness, stiffness and aching pain can be normal. These types of symptoms are often seen in large joints of the body such as the knee and shoulder. Normal joint pain symptoms can typically begin a day or so after the activity that caused it.

This type of pain does not typically affect your daily life or keep you from doing things you need to do. It should gradually improve over time.

How to manage normal joint pain at home

Normal, short term joint pain can be managed at home with the following:

• Periods of rest and activity modification can be helpful in the short-term following onset of pain.

• To decrease pain and inflammation, it can also be helpful to ice the affected joint for 10-15 minutes at a time several times throughout the day.

• Anti-inflammatory medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can also be helpful but should be used only if your other medical conditions allow.

• Stretching the affected joint can also help with mobility and should be implemented.

Signs you should see a doctor

While some joint pain symptoms are normal as described above, there are situations that would warrant seeing a doctor.

You should see a medical professional if you experience:

• Pain that lingers beyond a few weeks

• Significant swelling

• Redness, warmth, decreased range of motion and instability

• Pain that begins immediately after a single injury, such as a pop in the knee while playing pickleball

Most common spring joint injuries

Because of the increase in activity when moving from winter to spring, there are some injuries that become fairly common. Some of these include osteoarthritis flare, tendinitis in the knee and elbow from overuse and ankle sprains. There is also an increase in some more serious injuries such as ligament and tendon tears as well as fractures from falls.

Injury prevention

Remaining active has positive effects on numerous aspects of your health. For this reason, it is important to take steps towards avoiding injury so that you can remain active.

How to help prevent injury:

• Stretching before activity

• Icing joints after activity

• Gradually increasing your activity levels over a period of time to avoid overuse

• Maintaining proper nutrition