Most of our activities, especially those involving movement, like walking, jogging, and bending, depend hugely on our joints. Joints function as hinges for our bones, enabling us to make various movements. However, if joints start hurting, even simple tasks seem hard and challenging.
The good news is that you can avoid pain at any age if you take proper care of your joints. In this blog, we’re going to have a look at some basic tips to prevent joint pain and maintain joint function.
How to Prevent Joint Pain
Joint pain can occur due to a variety of factors that range from injuries to common diseases, such as arthritis. Let’s see what steps you can take to prevent joint pain:
Keep Moving
Staying active is a great way to prevent joint pain. You can choose activities like brisk walking, cycling, and swimming to keep your joints flexible and strong. Additionally, regular exercise helps with weight management, and maintaining a healthy weight reduces pressure and strain on your joints. Hence, staying physically active promotes improved mobility and comfort in joints.
Adequate Hydration
Drinking plenty of water helps keep your joints lubricated. Aim for at least 8-10 glasses of water each day. When your body is properly hydrated, the cartilage in your joints continues to be soft and flexible, thereby helping to keep joints healthy and reducing joint pain.
Precaution
If you have to perform certain kinds of tasks repeatedly, make sure you pause and follow the right procedures, especially when lifting heavy goods. In addition to this, wear the right shoes to avoid straining your joints, and prevent joint pain.
Maintaining Joint Flexibility
Moving all of your joints on a daily basis helps keep them flexible so that you can move them with ease and stay active in the long run. As you grow older, it becomes essential to exercise and move all your joints every day – for at least 30-45 minutes.
Practical Tips for Joint Health
Strong Muscles
If your muscles are strong, your joints get better support. Perform strength training exercises, like resistance band workouts and weightlifting, to boost joint stability. Stronger muscles may also reduce the chances of joint injury.
Stretching
Daily stretching is a good strategy to enhance flexibility, prevent injuries, and improve mobility. Stretching should be done both – before and after exercising. This helps improve blood circulation and lower tension in muscles while keeping joints in good health.
While stretching, prioritise your:
- Shoulders
- Knees
- Hips
- Ankles
These are often the joints that are likely to get stiff due to a sedentary lifestyle, repetitive movements, or high-intensity exercise. They require regular stretching to enhance flexibility, manage discomfort, improve posture, and boost your efficiency in routine tasks and physical activities.
Healthy Weight
Excess body weight puts multiple times the regular pressure on your joints, especially those in the lower back, hips, and knees. To exemplify, for every extra kilogram of body weight, your knees have to bear 4 times additional pressure. Hence, maintaining optimal weight helps support joint function and improve overall mobility.
Right Posture
Maintaining appropriate posture can support proper alignment of your joints. This in turn prevents unnecessary strain and discomfort. Be mindful of your posture while standing, sitting, and walking. Take control of your joint health and prevent avoidable joint issues.
Physiotherapy for Healthy Joints
Physical therapy has been found beneficial in treatment of joint pain. Seek the guidance of a qualified physiotherapist to get a tailored plan for exercises that can improve your joint health and reduce pain.
Targeted Exercises
An expert physical therapist will design a set of exercises to enhance strength, flexibility, and balance in joints. These are the key components of preserving and improving joint function. Exercise is targeted on specific joints to improve joint stability and mobility.
Awareness and Counselling
A trained physiotherapist can teach you how to safeguard your joints and stay safe from injuries. Learn from them practices to correctly lift, bend, walk, sit, stand, etc., to reduce joint pain.
Techniques for Managing Joint Pain
- Getting a massage from a trained therapist can help improve blood circulation and reduce muscle spasms.
- Heat therapy can reduce stiffness and increase suppleness in joints.
- Cold therapy can prove beneficial in managing inflammation and alleviating pain.
- Mild stretching can promote flexibility and ease tightness.
- Supportive devices like braces and splints can give support to your joints. These devices reduce pain and stiffness by stabilising the affected joint. They can be especially beneficial in controlling the range of motion of your joint to prevent more damage.
Consult a Trusted Specialist When Necessary
What to do if you have tried all conservative treatments and lifestyle modifications for pain relief, yet your joint pain refuses to go? Such a scenario may indicate the necessity for joint replacement treatment. While timely medical intervention is crucial as it can help maintain joint function and prevent further deterioration, advanced stage situations call for the right orthopaedic support. Get in touch with a trusted joint specialist – for reassurance and motivation you need at this point for effective joint health management.
At Sohana Hospital, you can get expert evaluation from the best orthopaedic doctor in Chandigarh, and accordingly decide your course of action. Taking care of your joints can help maintain good joint health and avoid problems in future. You can prevent joint pain, have good flexibility in your joints, and stay mobile even as you grow older.
FAQs
1. When should I see an orthopaedic doctor for joint pain?
You should consult an orthopaedic doctor if your joint pain shows no signs of relenting with conservative treatments – rest, home remedies, exercise, physiotherapy, injections, and others. If your joint pain restricts movement, causes swelling, or worsens with activity, it’s time to reach out to an expert. Persistent stiffness or pain could indicate arthritis, injury, or joint degeneration, making expert evaluation necessary.
2. What are the most effective ways to keep joints healthy as you age?
To keep your joints healthy, try to stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight, stretch daily, eat a healthy diet, and stay hydrated. Perform low-impact exercises like walking or swimming. Strengthening muscles around the joints with the right exercises and maintaining good posture can also help prevent joint strain and stiffness over time.
3. Can physiotherapy help in relieving joint pain without surgery?
Yes, physiotherapy can effectively reduce joint pain and improve mobility during the initial stages of joint damage. A qualified physiotherapist can design a tailored exercise plan to strengthen muscles, enhance flexibility, and restore joint function naturally. However, in advanced cases, knee replacement surgery may be the only treatment for pain relief and regaining mobility.