Joint stiffness

Joint stiffness is a reduced ease or range of movement in one or more joints, often most noticeable after rest or first thing in the morning.

It is distinct from pain, although the two frequently occur together. Brief morning stiffness lasting minutes is typical of osteoarthritis, while stiffness persisting for an hour or more suggests inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis. Other causes include injury, immobilization in a cast, frozen shoulder, fibromyalgia and simple inactivity, and stiffness tends to increase with age as cartilage thins and tissues lose elasticity.

Clinicians assess stiffness by asking about its timing and duration, measuring range of motion and examining for swelling, and they use imaging and blood tests to identify an underlying cause. Regular movement, stretching, heat and treatment of the responsible condition are the usual approaches. Joint stiffness features in discussions of arthritis, and direct cannabidiol evidence for it is specific to the condition and route studied.