PATIENT TOOL

Where does it hurt?

Point to the spot on a simple body map and learn, in plain language, which structures live there, what commonly causes pain at that exact place, and which warning signs should not wait for a routine appointment.

An educational guide, not a diagnosis. Only an examination can tell you what is wrong.

Many different problems can hurt in the same spot, and some pain travels far from its source. This guide helps you describe your pain better and understand what doctors consider; it cannot examine you, and it is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Pain location guide · Dr. Vishnu Baburaj, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Aster MIMS Kannur

drvishnubaburaj.com/where-does-it-hurt · Helpline 0497 353 8000 · Emergency 9656 111 666

#pain-tool .joint-panel[hidden], #pain-tool [data-view-wrap][hidden], #pain-tool .region-panel[hidden] { display: block !important; } #pain-tool .joint-panel { margin-bottom: 4rem; } #pain-tool .region-panel { margin-bottom: 1.5rem; } #pain-tool .pg-stage, #pain-tool .pg-region-list, #pain-tool .pg-view-toggle { display: none !important; } .js-only { display: none !important; } .reveal-on-scroll { opacity: 1 !important; transform: none !important; } JavaScript is off in your browser, so the interactive body map is hidden. The complete guide for the knee, hip, and shoulder is shown below, region by region.

Step 1 · Choose the joint that troubles you

Knee pain, spot by spot

How knee pain behaves

Two useful patterns before you point. Pain from the kneecap joint is typically felt at the front and is worst on stairs, slopes, and after long sitting. And a knee that looks and examines normal but keeps aching may not be a knee problem at all: an arthritic hip often refers pain to the knee, which is why we sometimes examine both.

Step 2 · Point to the spot

Front view

Or choose from the list

Knee · Front view

Over the kneecap

What lives here: The kneecap (patella), the cartilage behind it, the tendon below it, and a small cushioning sac (bursa) in front.

Common causes of pain here

Patellofemoral pain. The most common front-of-knee pain, worse on stairs, slopes, squatting, and after sitting with bent knees; frequent in younger and active people.
Kneecap arthritis. Wear of the cartilage behind the kneecap in older knees, felt as grinding and aching on stairs.
Prepatellar bursitis. A soft swelling in front of the kneecap after long kneeling work.

Worth knowing: Pain that is clearly worse coming down stairs than going up usually points to the kneecap joint.

Time to see a doctor if

Pain persisting beyond two to three weeks despite relative rest and simple pain relief
Swelling that keeps returning, or a knee that feels unstable or gives way
Locking, or a knee you cannot fully straighten
Night pain, or walking distance shrinking month on month

Book an OP consultation

Urgent, do not wait

A hot, red, swollen knee with fever or feeling unwell: possible joint infection, needs same-day care
Unable to put weight on the leg after a fall or injury
A visibly deformed knee after injury
A locked knee that will not straighten
New calf pain or swelling: a blood clot must be ruled out

Helpline 0497 353 8000 · Emergency 9656 111 666

Go deeper

Knee and hip self-assessment Non-surgical treatments Knee arthroscopy Knee replacement Recovery timeline: knee replacement

Hip pain, spot by spot

How hip pain behaves

The most useful thing to know about hip pain: the hip joint itself usually speaks from the groin, sometimes the front of the thigh, and occasionally only the knee. Pain over the outer bony point is usually the tendons draped over the bone rather than the joint. And buttock pain more often comes from the lower back than from the hip.

Step 2 · Point to the spot

Front view

Or choose from the list

Hip · Front view

The groin crease

What lives here: The ball-and-socket hip joint sits deep to the groin, along with its cartilage rim (labrum) and the hip flexor tendons.

Common causes of pain here

Hip osteoarthritis. A deep groin ache that builds with walking and makes socks, footwear, and toenails progressively harder to reach.
Avascular necrosis (AVN). Loss of blood supply to the ball of the hip, causing deep groin pain in younger adults; long steroid courses and regular alcohol are the common associations.
Labral tear or impingement. A pinching groin pain with deep bending and long sitting in younger, active adults.
Hip flexor strain. A pulling pain after sprinting, kicking, or a sudden stretch.

Worth knowing: A hernia can also cause groin discomfort, particularly a lump that appears on standing or coughing; that path leads to a general surgeon rather than an orthopaedic one.

Time to see a doctor if

Groin pain or stiffness lasting more than two to three weeks
A limp, or footwear and socks becoming a struggle
Night pain on the side you lie on that keeps returning despite simple measures
Walking distance shrinking, or a stick becoming tempting

Book an OP consultation

Urgent, do not wait

Unable to stand or put weight on the leg after a fall, especially past 60: possible hip fracture, treat as an emergency
Fever with severe hip pain, or a warm, very painful hip in someone unwell
Sudden severe pain in a hip that has been replaced, or after any fall onto it
Constant, unrelenting night pain with weight loss deserves an early, thorough review

Helpline 0497 353 8000 · Emergency 9656 111 666

Go deeper

Knee and hip self-assessment Non-surgical treatments Hip replacement Recovery timeline: hip replacement

Shoulder pain, spot by spot

How shoulder pain behaves

Shoulder pain rarely stays where the problem is. Rotator cuff trouble is typically felt on the outer upper arm, a hand-width below the joint. Pain across the top of the shoulder and shoulder blade often comes from the neck, and tingling in the fingers strengthens that suspicion. One exception is the small joint at the very tip of the shoulder, which hurts exactly where the problem is.

Step 2 · Point to the spot

Front view

Or choose from the list

Shoulder · Front view

Outer upper arm (deltoid area)

What lives here: Pain here usually comes from higher up: the rotator cuff tendons and their cushioning bursa, under the point of the shoulder.

Common causes of pain here

Rotator cuff impingement and tendinopathy. A painful arc reaching overhead, difficulty with the last stretch to a high shelf, and an ache down the outer arm afterward.
Rotator cuff tear. Weakness lifting the arm and night pain lying on that side; after 40 a cuff can tear with surprisingly little force, and repairs are more straightforward when the tear is fresh.
Calcific tendinitis. Episodes of sudden, severe shoulder pain from a calcium deposit in the tendon; dramatic but treatable.

Worth knowing: The classic mistake is rubbing the sore spot on the arm: the problem usually lives a hand-width above it, under the tip of the shoulder.

Time to see a doctor if

Shoulder pain lasting more than two to three weeks despite rest and simple pain relief
Night pain lying on that side, or pain that wakes you
Weakness reaching overhead or behind your back
Stiffness that keeps progressing, particularly if you have diabetes
Repeated episodes of the shoulder slipping or dislocating

Book an OP consultation

Urgent, do not wait

A deformed shoulder held immobile after an injury: possible dislocation or fracture, go to casualty
A hot, swollen, very painful shoulder with fever
Sudden inability to lift the arm after an injury: a fresh cuff tear should be reviewed early
Left shoulder or arm pain with chest tightness, breathlessness, or sweating, especially on exertion: treat as a heart emergency and go to the nearest casualty

Helpline 0497 353 8000 · Emergency 9656 111 666

Go deeper

Shoulder arthroscopy Rotator cuff tears: surgery or not Frozen shoulder guide Recovery timeline: rotator cuff repair

Pain patterns overlap, and this guide cannot cover every possibility. If your pain worries you, that alone is a good enough reason to have it examined.

Whatever the spot

Chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or fainting are emergencies: go to the nearest casualty or call 9656 111 666. Aster MIMS Kannur runs 24/7 emergency and trauma care.

Why pain location matters, and where it misleads

Where the pain is felt is one of the first questions in any orthopaedic consultation, because each spot has its own short list of usual suspects. But location is a starting point, not an answer: hip arthritis can be felt only in the knee, neck problems ache in the shoulder blade, and two very different conditions can share an address. That is why the examination, and sometimes an X-ray or scan, decides.

Use this guide to describe your pain more precisely, and bring that description to a consultation. It makes the visit faster and better. Booking an OP consultation takes two minutes.

Common questions

Pain questions, answered

Can this guide tell me what is wrong with my joint?

No. It explains which structures live where and what commonly causes pain in each spot, so you can have a better-informed conversation with a doctor. Many conditions feel similar, and some pain is referred from elsewhere, so only a proper history, examination, and imaging where needed can give a diagnosis.

Why does my knee hurt if the problem is in my hip?

The hip joint shares nerve pathways with the thigh and knee, so an arthritic hip often sends its pain down to the front of the thigh or the knee. This is called referred pain. It is one reason we sometimes examine, and occasionally X-ray, the hip in a patient whose complaint is knee pain.

Which joint pain needs urgent attention rather than a routine appointment?

A joint that becomes hot, swollen, and very painful with fever; inability to put weight on a leg after a fall or injury; a visibly deformed joint; a knee locked and unable to straighten; and new calf pain with swelling. Left shoulder or arm pain with chest tightness, breathlessness, or sweating should be treated as a heart emergency. For these, go to casualty or call 9656 111 666 rather than waiting for an OPD slot.

My pain does not match any single spot on these diagrams. What should I do?

That is common, and it is useful information in itself: pain that is hard to pin down often comes from the joint as a whole, as in arthritis, or is referred from the spine. Note when the pain started, what makes it better or worse, and whether it disturbs sleep, then book a consultation. The OPD runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 am to 4 pm at Aster MIMS Kannur.

Where does it hurt?

Knee pain, spot by spot

How knee pain behaves

Above the kneecap

Common causes of pain here

Over the kneecap

Common causes of pain here

Inner (medial) side

Common causes of pain here

Outer (lateral) side

Common causes of pain here

Below the kneecap

Common causes of pain here

Directly behind the knee

Common causes of pain here

Inner or outer corner at the back

Common causes of pain here

The whole knee, hard to point

Common causes

Time to see a doctor if

Urgent, do not wait

Hip pain, spot by spot

How hip pain behaves

The groin crease

Common causes of pain here

Front of the thigh, toward the knee

Common causes of pain here

The outer bony point

Common causes of pain here

The buttock

Common causes of pain here

The sitting bone (lower buttock)

Common causes of pain here

All around the hip, hard to point

Common causes

Time to see a doctor if

Urgent, do not wait

Shoulder pain, spot by spot

How shoulder pain behaves

The very top (shoulder tip)

Common causes of pain here

Front of the shoulder

Common causes of pain here

Outer upper arm (deltoid area)

Common causes of pain here

Back of the shoulder

Common causes of pain here

Shoulder blade, toward the neck

Common causes of pain here

The whole shoulder, with stiffness

Common causes

Time to see a doctor if

Urgent, do not wait

Why pain location matters, and where it misleads

Pain questions, answered

Take the First Step. We'll handle the rest.

Take the First Step.
We'll handle the rest.