Healthy Ageing
Arthritis in Older Adults: When Should Joint Pain Be Checked?
Joint pain is common with age, but it isn't always something to ignore. Learn which arthritis symptoms in older adults should be medically assessed.
- Written by Banby Specialist Hospital
- 5 min read
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“My knees hurt because I'm getting old.”
It's a common explanation for joint pain, and there is some logic behind it. Osteoarthritis becomes more common with age, and years of changes within a joint can eventually lead to pain, stiffness and reduced movement.
The problem is what sometimes happens next.
Pain gets attributed to age, so nobody investigates it. Walking becomes uncomfortable, so the person walks less. Stairs become difficult, so they avoid them. Eventually, their routine has changed significantly around a joint problem that has never actually been assessed.
Getting older can increase the likelihood of certain joint conditions. Age itself isn't a diagnosis.
So when should joint pain in an older adult be checked?
What Does Arthritis Actually Mean?
Arthritis isn't one disease.
It is a broad term covering conditions that affect joints and surrounding tissues, and different types of arthritis can require different approaches to treatment.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form. It involves changes within the joint that can cause pain, stiffness, swelling and reduced function.
The knees and hips are among the joints that can be affected, but having joint pain does not automatically mean osteoarthritis. Other conditions can produce similar symptoms, which is why persistent or worsening pain is worth assessing rather than diagnosing based on age alone.
When Does Joint Pain Deserve More Attention?
The pain keeps returning
One uncomfortable knee after an unusually active day is different from pain that has become a regular feature of someone's week.
Pay attention to duration and pattern.
If the pain persists, repeatedly returns or is becoming worse, an assessment can help establish what is causing it and whether treatment may help.
Stiffness is making the joint harder to use
Joint stiffness can be easy to dismiss until you notice what it is doing to everyday movement.
Perhaps getting up after sitting for a while has become difficult. The first few steps in the morning take longer. Bending the knee or moving the hip isn't as easy as it used to be.
Increasing stiffness or loss of movement is worth mentioning to a doctor, even when pain isn't severe.
There is persistent or unexplained swelling
Swelling can occur with several joint problems and doesn't tell you the cause by itself.
A joint that remains swollen, becomes significantly swollen or develops swelling without an obvious explanation should be medically assessed rather than attributed automatically to ageing.
Everyday movement is getting harder
This is one of the most useful things to notice.
Can the person still walk their usual distance?
Can they climb stairs? Stand long enough to cook or shower? Get out of a chair comfortably? Move around the house without needing increasing support?
Changes in function help show how much a joint problem is affecting daily life.
Life is quietly getting smaller because of the pain
Sometimes the clearest sign isn't the joint itself. It's everything the person has stopped doing because of it.
They no longer go somewhere that requires a long walk.
They avoid outings involving stairs.
They've stopped exercising.
They need more help around the house.
None of those changes happened overnight, so they can easily become the new normal.
When joint pain begins changing someone's independence or routine, that's important information for their doctor.
Does Arthritis Mean Surgery Is Inevitable?
No.
An arthritis diagnosis does not automatically lead to surgery or joint replacement.
Treatment depends on the type of arthritis, which joint is affected, the severity of symptoms, how much the condition affects daily function, general health and other individual factors.
For osteoarthritis, treatment can include therapeutic exercise, weight management where appropriate, medication and other non-surgical approaches.
For some people, these measures provide enough relief to maintain normal activities.
Joint replacement becomes relevant for selected patients when symptoms such as pain, stiffness or reduced function are substantially affecting quality of life and appropriate non-surgical treatment has not provided enough benefit or isn't suitable.
When Might an Orthopaedic Assessment Be Useful?
An orthopaedic assessment may be appropriate when joint pain persists, mobility is getting worse, stiffness is becoming significant or normal activities are increasingly difficult.
The appointment is not automatically about surgery.
An orthopaedic doctor can assess the joint, consider the pattern of symptoms and decide whether further investigation is appropriate. Depending on the diagnosis, treatment may remain non-surgical or surgery may eventually become one of the options discussed.
The important part is establishing what is causing the problem before deciding how to treat it.
What If an Older Parent Keeps Saying They're “Fine”?
Ask about function, not only pain.
Instead of:
“Is your knee still hurting?”
it can be more useful to ask:
“Are you still able to climb the stairs comfortably?”
“How far can you walk before you need to stop?”
“Have you stopped doing anything because of the pain?”
“Do you need help getting out of the chair?”
Those questions can reveal changes that “I'm fine” doesn't.
This is especially useful for adult children caring for ageing parents, including those who don't live nearby.
Related article: Caring for Ageing Parents in Nigeria When You Live Abroad
Looking for an Orthopaedic Doctor in Ibadan?
Banby Specialist Hospital provides orthopaedic care in Akobo, Ibadan, including hip and knee surgery, total hip replacement and total knee replacement where clinically appropriate.
Prof. Bade B. Omololu, MBBS, FRCS, FWACS, founder of Banby Specialist Hospital, is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon/Traumatologist.
If persistent joint pain is affecting mobility, independence or everyday activities, an orthopaedic assessment can help establish the cause and appropriate treatment options.
Want to speak to a specialist?
Book an appointment at Banby in Akobo, Ibadan.
