There is nothing worse than pains in your joints. It suddenly catches you as you move and can be breathtakingly painful. It certainly makes you think twice before doing everyday tasks. Pains in joints can be sharp or just a dull throbs or aches.
It makes you think twice about even the simple things like taking a walk, picking up a child or even getting out of a chair. It reminds you sharply with every move that you now have limitations:
- causes of joint pain are many
- osteoarthritis
- old injuries such as broken bones in childhood.
- repetitive or forceful movements during sports or work
- posture problems
- inactivity due to aging
- obesity
Ignoring the pain won’t make it go away. It will make it stay.
When we have a joint problem that gives us pain it is very tempting to hold it still and limit the movement. Avoiding motion with that joint will only compound the problem; for example, if you hold your arm still due to an ache in the elbow, the joint the muscles in your arm will tighten up and shorten and even after a short period it will become very painful to stretch out the arm. In fact, limiting your movements can weaken muscles, compounding joint trouble, and affecting your posture, setting off a cascade of further problems. If you are nursing a pain in the elbow you can end up with a pain in the shoulder joint as that becomes stiff too as you are not using the arm or the muscles.
Many people turn to anti-inflammatory medication, pain relief tablets and cold or hot packs which offer some temporary relief and but will not fix the problem.
Exercise is the secret solution and the secret to youth and health.
When a joint is aching you need to first see your doctor or see a physiotherapist and ask for the right exercises because if you do not take action you will use other parts of the body to compensate for this lack of movement: and over time you develop more problems.
The right set of exercises can be a way to treat ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder pain. Practiced regularly, joint pain relief workouts might permit you to postpone — or even avoid — surgery on a problem joint that has been worsening by strengthening key supportive muscles and restoring flexibility. Over time, you may find limitations you’ve learned to work around will begin to ease. Opportunities for fun and sport that may have been dropped from your life by necessity may come back into reach too and it is never too late to start.
Beyond the benefits to your joints, becoming more active can help you stay independent long into your later years. Exercise is essential to the joints and regular exercise is good for you in so many ways; for your heart, and it sharpens the mind. It helps get blood pressure down and lifts your mood; eases stress, tones the body and helps you lose weight.
If you have joint pain or are restoring movement after a broken bone you need to give yourself time to exercise at least twice per day and persevere.
We all need to put the time in to keep our bodies healthy and strong and keep everything moving. Perhaps most importantly, it lessens your risk of becoming immobile.
Restore movement as you bathe
Relax in a warm bath by adding two cups of Epsom salts to a warm bath and soaking for 20 minutes. The combination of warm water and Epsom salts will give you a double dose of pain relief and relaxation. Magnesium sulphate, the key compound in Epsom salts, has been found to relax muscles, reduce pain, and sedate the nervous system; warm water helps improve circulation in the feet and relieve muscle pain. Lying in the safety of a warm bath is a good place to exercise and massage the feet. You will be amazed at how well the joints in the feet respond to daily massage and exercise in a warm bath.
Why weight causes joint pain
Being overweight raises your risk for developing osteoarthritis in a weight-bearing joint like the knee. According to a study — simply walking puts up to one-and-a-half times your body weight on your knees. This means that if you are overweight and are suffering from knee pain your first step is to start losing weight, but you still need to do gentle exercise. If you sit in the chair because you have knee pain you will end up with more stiff joints. A gentle evening walk and some swimming and an exercise bike would be recommended as a start.
Ask Alva
Could you be so kind and answer a question for me please? Are there any benefits in cooking with olive oil? — Nessie
Olive oil is cultivated for its exquisite flavor and also for its health benefits. The oil is rich in vitamin E and is extracted from the juices of ground and pressed olives. In the past, it has been used to heal wounds, moisturise hair and skin and strengthen fingernails. Research has also shown that olive oil promotes digestion, stimulates metabolism, and lowers cholesterol levels. It also relieves stomach disorders such as flatulence and constipation. So basically it is much better than animal fat and is good for the body – but use it sparingly as it contains about 45 calories per teaspoon! Put only a teaspoon in salad and use as little as possible in cooking. — Alva
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Health Lines: What should you do about joint pain?
