Weird Migrating Joint/muscle pain I have!

Posted by graystar @graystar, Sep 12 9:21pm

Hi! I’m 17F, 5’4”, 107 lbs. Since August 3rd, I’ve been experiencing weird migrating pain, usually in my joints, but sometimes in other areas too. Each flare-up usually starts as Feeling like a light bruise when I put pressure on it, then progresses over a day or a few days to a burning sensation, and sometimes stabbing pain that makes it hard to move the area. There is never really any bruising or redness on the affected area. Recently, i've noticed before each "Flare-up" that area goes almost stiff.

I started journaling to keep track of each flare-up. Here’s a summary:

Aug 3: Side stinging hard, lasted ~2 weeks. Thought it was from a carnival game, but lasted too long to be an injury.
Aug 9–12: Right knee, bruise → burning → stabbing → almost immobile. Limped while walking. Went to the doctor; wrap was given but initially made it worse. Eventually went away.
Aug 22: Left knee suddenly stabbing after standing up. No bruise → burning phase. Pain subsided by next day.
Sept 6: Left shoulder blade hurt all day, worse with movement (especially during work).
Sept 9: Left backside of ankle (bone area), bruise → burning → stabbing → immobile. Pain remained even at rest.
Sept 10–11: Right knee stiff first, then painful. Left ankle still hurt, couldn’t walk.
Sept 11: Left side of neck briefly bruise-y. Left hand knuckles (except thumbs) stiff, burning/stabbing. Typing is painful.
Sept 12: Left hand knuckles (stiff, burning/stabbing), right knee, and left side of torso all flared up. By the end of the day, the front of my left ankle got so bad that I couldn’t rotate or bend it.

Other info:
No access to family medical history (adopted).
No sports, unusual sleeping, or walking habits.
No visible bruises, redness, or marks.
Tylenol is the strongest pain med I can take; it isn’t effective. Icy Hot distracts from the pain but doesn’t actually relieve it.

I’m mainly asking for advice or shared experiences, and to know whether this might need urgent medical attention. Happy to answer any questions. Thanks so much for reading!

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loyd1957 | @loyd1957 | Sep 20 10:53am

Been to too many doctors and pretty much all do the same protocol. PT, OTC or prescription meds, and if none of that works, injections or epidurals. Last resort is surgery IF they can find anything. So many of us have some out of balance chemistry or immune deficiency or something causing inflammatory response that many things don't help. I believe my high cholesterol is based on inflammatory response also but testing will be high one time and normal the next. It seems to be flare ups of something that nobody can quite put their finger on.

laura1970 | @laura1970 | Sep 20 12:13pm

Have u tried the anti inflammatory diet?

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Sep 21 7:53am

Hi graystar,

Yikes you are going through a lot. Given the number of symptoms you have, the right physician should help.

I recommend seeing a "Dr of Physical Medicine", or a similar title. These Drs used to go by the title "Sports Drs", but they do so much more.

Mainly, they are useful in cases like yours, where there are a lot of symptoms and no clear causes. These Drs are not specialists, and they're not PCPs. They're very good at diagnosing the underlying conditions, and referring to the appropriate specialist)s.

As an example, I had been experiencing groin pain for close to a year. For a long time I just assumed I was doing something wrong at the gym and this was a groin sprain. But it kept getting worse, so I finally saw a Dr. of Physical Medicine. She did an xray and determined I needed a hip replacement! I never thought about this because of the location of the pain. But she pointed out that the actual hip joint lies right under the groin, not on the outside of the hip. I did get my hip replaced and the problem was solved.

She is associated with the orthopedics group at my healthcare provider, so you may want to look there. And I wouldn't be concerned if the Dr's title has something to do with sports. They address a large audience, not all related to sports.

I wish I could give you a better answer now. Hopefully you will find a Dr who can help you, and at a minimum, point you to a specialist(s).

Finally, the suggestion to use ice instead of heat is a good one. Ice reduces inflammation (and swelling) and also numbs the area to some extent. Heat feels better initially, but heat increases local inflammation and may actually make a symptom worse.

All the best graystar!

Joe