When your joints ache and are stiff or swelling, the pain can range from debilitating to bothersome. You don’t have to live with pain, like an estimated 30 percent of adult Americans do. You can get relief from joint pain using a number of techniques, based on the cause of the pain. Joint pain can come from a variety of causes that range from osteoarthritis to injury. Even poor posture can lead to joint pain. Many people find that as they age, just like other parts of their body, the joints age too, leaving them with stiffness and pain.
The problem may not come from aging, injury or previous injuries, but from inactivity.
Originally, the pain may have come from injury, but when the injury healed, the real problem probably started. Inactivity can be one of the leading causes of pain. Not only does it lead to muscle weakness, it reduces the range of motion. That ultimately leads to even more pain and babying the painful joint. In order to have healthy joints, you need to exercise. It can actually reduce the joint pain.
Weight loss can relieve some joint pain.
If your knees are aching, losing weight will definitely help. It relieves the weight and pressure on the joint. It’s also noted that arthritis strikes obese people twice as much as it does people of average weight. A study on osteoarthritis showed that by just shedding 11 pounds, it reduced the risk by 50 percent in younger obese women. In older males, switching from the classification of obese to overweight cut the risk by a fifth and for women cut it a third.
Epsom salts is an old standby that works.
Not only does Epsom salt help relax strained muscles with magnesium. It also contains sulfur. Sulfur is necessary for the joints and the connective tissue. By soaking in Epsom salts, the sulfur and the magnesium is absorbed through the skin, benefiting both the muscles and the joints. Using turmeric when in pain can prevent stomach upset that can come from traditional pain relievers, plus provide other benefits for your body. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory that has shown promise for aiding many afflictions.
- Exercise improves posture and poor posture is one cause of joint pain.
- Choosing the right type of exercise is important. The constant pounding of running is not good for knee joint pain, but the buoyancy of swimming is. Make sure you tell your personal trainer of your condition before you start an exercise program.
- Hot and cold packs are also good for joint pain. Apply the hot pack first for 20 minutes, then follow it with a cold pack for 20 minutes.
- Consider some of the new alternatives for joint pain, such as whole body cryotherapy and float therapy.