Joint stiffness may occur with or without joint pain. Stiffness can affect any jointâ the fingers and hands, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, feet, shoulders, hips, and even the jaw. Know Your Symptoms. Other signs and symptoms in addition to the inflammation and stiffness will help your doctor figure out what kind of arthritis you have. In RA, the immune system attacks the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, leading to the stiffness, pain, warmth, redness, and swelling around the joint.