Short sharp stresses can be particularly painful. "Start-up" pain in the joints that occurs when starting movement is typical. For example, pain in the knee or back when you get out of a seat after sitting for a long time. Once you've got going, the pain decreases, but it returns again later after longer periods of using the joint.
Joint pain that onsets suddenly after a fall, trauma or after an accident can indicate a sprain, dislocation, ligamentous injury or a bone fracture. For the sufferer, it is often difficult to differentiate between the various forms of injury. For instance, bone fractures and ligament injuries which are medically very significant may not cause much pain at all, while a "harmless" sprain that is considered less medically severe can be very painful. So do not wait for joint pain to improve by itself, talk to your doctor. Only he can decide whether and what treatment is necessary.
Stubborn joint pain could be the first sign of osteoarthritis (wear and tear of the joints). This pain is aggravated by weight-bearing.