Aches and pains in the joints can be caused by many different things.
Common conditions of the joints include osteoarthritis, bursitis (inflammation in a joint capsule), strains/sprains and other injuries, and some autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is commonly thought of as a condition that happens with age or with normal wear and tear, but the truth is that this is more likely to be brought on by not enough movement throughout life, or too many repetitive movements. So, if you’re trying to prevent osteoarthritis, don’t avoid lifting weights and move your body—with the proper form, of course! While joint pain can affect any joint in your body, the most common areas are the knees, hips, and shoulders. Sometimes the pain can also be combined with stiffness or loss of range of motion in the joints.
One thing that can contribute to pain in the joints, is not moving them enough. Movement helps to lubricate the joints and allows fluids to move in those areas; otherwise, they become stagnant and cause muscles to tighten up around the joint.
JOINT EXERCISES
The best exercises for joint pain can vary based on your specific condition, so be sure to see your chiropractor and get assessed to find out which ones are best for you. Some exercises that are generally great for joints include walking, weight lifting, mobility exercises, and higher intensity exercises. Walking helps to get blood pumping throughout the body and also gets some movement through the hip joints in a forward and backward motion. Weight lifting is the best way to strengthen the bones and joints in the body. Adding an external stressor, such as weights, can signal the body to increase bone density in those areas in response to the stress; that makes your bones stronger. This is not only a great way to decrease joint pain, but can also help prevent joint conditions from starting. Be sure to watch your form and work with a professional to prevent injuries.
Everyone’s body is different, and that means the way your joints move is different from the way other people’s joints move. So, good form for you may be different from what you find online, or what your friend tells you. This could be because of the way your joints developed or due to a genetic reason—so it’s nothing to be alarmed about. For example, one way this may affect you is when you squat. Some people have a differently shaped hip joint (femeroacetabular joint), which allows one person to squat deeper than someone else. In this particular case, there may also be limitations based on the mobility in your ankle; more mobility in the ankle—specifically ankle dorsiflexion (bending your toes towards you)—means you may be able to squat deeper.
When weight-bearing is difficult or the pain is severe, water-based exercises can be very helpful. Even just wading in water can help to strengthen muscles and joints due to the resistance of the water, without having to bear any weight on the joints themselves. So don’t be afraid to jump in a pool, even if you don’t know how to swim. Use the sides for support or flotation devices, and just move around in the water as much as you can. There are many aqua fitness classes you can try as well. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if they can recommend something specific for your condition and if there are trained professionals on-site to help you feel more comfortable and supported.
Mobility exercises are very specific to the joints; they allow you to move your joints in their full ranges of motion outside of our typical activities. Joints can move in many different directions, but we spend most of the day using repetitive forward and backward movements, or flexion and extension. Some joints need rotation and lateral flexion (side bending) as well. Incorporating these types of movements can help to ease joint pain and muscle tightness, as well as improve general performance and prevent injuries.
PAIN RELIEF
For some temporary relief, ice or heat may be helpful. Heat is better for dull, achy pain, stiffness, and tightness; osteoarthritis may benefit from using heat. For inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, heat may make it worse—ice would be recommended when there is burning or swelling associated with it.
DIET
Diet is also important for joint pain. When there is inflammation in a joint, an anti-inflammatory diet may be necessary. Focus on eating whole foods and avoid processed foods as well as sugar and alcohol as much as possible. Sugar, alcohol, and processed foods cause inflammation in the body and may be one of the big contributing factors to joint pain. Some anti-inflammatory foods you could try to incorporate more of into your diet are berries and leafy greens. Generally speaking, incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet, especially those containing lots of fibre to help reduce inflammation.
SUPPLEMENTS
Some supplements can be used to ease joint pain and inflammation as well. Here are two of my favourites:
Curcumin: an active component of the spice turmeric; this is an anti-inflammatory supplement and may decrease joint pain and inflammation
Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate: can help to increase joint space, especially in conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Typically, it takes time for diet and supplement changes to provide significant relief. So, you need to try them for at least six months before it starts to work and you feel a difference. There are some joint complex supplements out there that have other ingredients that may help to provide some immediate relief, while the other remedies can do the work to help relieve joint pain more long term.
Speak to your healthcare practitioner before making changes to your diet or taking any new supplements to make sure you are doing what is right for you.
