Joint pain can range from slightly irritating to debilitating. It may go away after a few weeks (acute), or last for frequent weeks or months (chronic). Smooth short-term pain and bulge in the joints can affect your quality of life. Many different circumstances can lead to painful joints, counting osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout, strains, sprains, and other injuries. Joint pain is extremely common. About one-third of grown-ups report having joint pain within the past 30 days.