Any portion of a joint, including cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, can cause discomfort, pain, or inflammation. Joint pain, on the other hand, most frequently refers to arthritis or arthralgia, which is inflammation or discomfort within the joint.

Joint discomfort can be minor, causing soreness just after certain activities, or severe, causing even modest movement, especially while bearing weight, to be excruciatingly painful.