What it means
Pain in the part named.
- Neuralgia — nerve pain
- Myalgia — muscle pain
- Arthralgia — joint pain, without the swelling that would make it arthritis
- Neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve — trigeminal neuralgia
- Fibromyalgia — widespread pain in fibrous tissue and muscle
These words name a symptom, not a cause. "Arthralgia" tells you the joints hurt and says nothing about why — which is why it often appears while a diagnosis is still being worked out.
In practice
In clinic letters, particularly rheumatology and neurology.
"-dynia" means the same thing and turns up in words like vulvodynia and coccydynia.
Why it matters
Recognise it as a description rather than an answer. If your letter says arthralgia, the question of what is causing it may still be open.
Ask what the plan is for finding the cause, or whether the pain itself is now what is being treated — both are legitimate, but they are different.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026
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