You may experience pain and stiffness, with or without swelling. This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms.
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.
Some people with lupus develop myositis, an inflammation of the skeletal muscles that causes weakness and loss of strength. Lupus myositis often affects the muscles of your neck, pelvis, thighs, shoulders and upper arms; difficulty in climbing stairs and getting up from a chair are early symptoms.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Polymyalgia rheumatica, an inflammatory disorder, causes symptoms of muscle pain and stiffness, typically in the neck, shoulder, arms, or hip areas. Pain is generally worse in the morning.
Lupus arthritis is often first treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial medication, is typically prescribed for all patients with lupus at the time of diagnosis and is particularly effective in improving joint symptoms.
Specifically, lupus can cause inflammation of your tendons and bursae to cause tendonitis and bursitis, which can result in joint pain and stiffness. Inflammation can also cause inflammation of the synovial membrane, which lines the joints, tendons, and bursae.
Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because it has many symptoms that come and go and can mimic symptoms of other disorders or diseases. When speaking to your doctor about your symptoms, be sure to include symptoms that may no longer be present.
Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, progressive neurological disorder. Symptoms may include: Stiff muscles in the trunk (torso), arms, and legs. Greater sensitivity to noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms.
What causes muscle stiffness? Muscle stiffness most commonly arises after the overuse of skeletal muscles, which tends to happen after a long period of minimal motion (e.g., after extended bed rest) or after engaging in new exercises. These actions can cause temporary damage to the muscle cells, leading to stiffness.
Some two-thirds of lupus patients complain of having arthritis in their feet. Additionally, tenosynovitis and tendonitis often coexist, leading to widespread foot and ankle pain, causing considerable disability.
Lupus may get worse very quickly. There is no way to tell when a flare will happen or how bad it will be. When you have a lupus flare, you may have new symptoms as well as symptoms you have had in the past. Learn your body's signs of a flare, such as joint pain, a rash, a fever, or being more tired.
"But, if you have localized pain that is sharp, limits your mobility, changes your gait, affects your range of motion or is accompanied by significant weakness, it could be a sign of a serious injury that needs treatment."
Fibromyalgia can make you feel stiff. The stiffness may be most severe when you have been in the same position for a long period of time – for example, when you first wake up in the morning.
Myotonia occurs when your muscles aren't able to relax after they contract. Genetic changes usually cause myotonia, which can appear at birth or any age. Symptoms vary depending on the type of myotonia. You can manage symptoms with lifestyle changes, medications, supportive devices and physical therapy.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. Myasthenia gravis affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially those that control the eyes, mouth, throat and limbs.
Stress, joint pain, and fatigue are common lupus symptoms. While rest is essential, moving your body regularly releases “feel good” hormones called endorphins. This can boost your mood and keep your stressors in check. Physical exercise can also lessen joint pain and prevent stiffness in the body.
Whole-body symptoms — Most people with lupus experience fatigue, fever, and weight changes at some point in their illness. Fatigue — Fatigue is the most common symptom of lupus and can be debilitating. Almost everyone with lupus experiences fatigue at some point, even when there are no other symptoms.
Lupus causes inflammation throughout the body, which can cause problems in organs, including: Kidney damage that can lead to changes in kidney function, including kidney failure. This is called lupus nephritis. Seizures and memory problems due to changes in the brain and central nervous system.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are used to reduce inflammation, pain and fever associated with lupus. They include over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (for example, Nurofen®), or prescription medications such as Voltaren® Celebrex® and Orudis®.
Your doctors might call it “inflammatory arthritis.” You're most likely to have it in your fingers and wrists, but it can also reach your elbows, knees, ankles, and toes. Your joints might feel tender and warm. You also might have pain in the joint itself.