Do you want to get to the bottom of what’s aggravating your joint pain? Maybe you’re doing all your exercises and taking your medication and yet the pain keeps flaring up. If you feel like something is aggravating your joint pain but you can’t quite single it out, then read on. This article is going to explore 7 surprising habits that may be aggravating your joint pain.
1. Sedentary lifestyle
“Inactivity leads to increased levels of stiffness in the joint, which leads to that aching pain that is so common,” says Thomas Olsen, Physiotherapist and director at EmbdyHealth. “Inactivity also leads to reduced strength of both the bones and the muscles that support them. Exercising and strengthening the muscles around the joint that are sore due to arthritis also helps with taking some pressure off the joint, which is a great way to reduce any pain.”
Not doing any exercise at all can aggravate joint pain – but what if you actually are exercising? Your joint pain and stiffness may still be aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle even if you do exercise, because you may still be spending a lot of time sitting down. To counter this, try getting up at regular intervals to take a quick walk around the room or do some stretching. Try to make sure you’re moving regularly.
2. Overdoing certain exercises
On the flipside, overdoing exercises or doing them incorrectly can also aggravate joint pain. “One of the most common injuries to the spine occurs with improper lifting,” says Dr. Michael Gerling, member of the American Board Certified Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon and Founder of The Gerling Institute. “Numerous studies have shown that poor body positioning while lifting heavy objects dramatically increases the pressure on the discs of the spine and leads to injuries. Bending at the waist rather than bending at the knees when lifting objects is one of the most common sources of injury and back pain.”
You may also be focusing on certain muscle groups but not paying enough attention to others. “Back pain affects more than 80% of the population and can be dramatically improved with maintaining back fitness,” says Gerling. Exercise can and should be challenging, but it shouldn’t hurt. Reflect on how you feel after certain exercises and make adjustments where necessary. Low impact forms of exercising like swimming, walking, yoga and water aerobics offer a gentler way to work out without stressing the joints.
It may be tempting to try and cram a week’s worth of exercise into the weekend, but it’s not necessarily a good idea. “Weekend warriors are people who participate in new sports or overdo it on the weekends after relatively sedentary spurts of time during the week,” says Gerling . “Those individuals have higher risk of injuries, and increased aches and pains because they do not build up and maintain proper stability of their joints with strong supporting muscles and ligaments.”
3. Not getting enough vitamin D
Did you know that it’s literally impossible to get enough vitamin D during autumn and winter in the UK? Vitamin D is really important for bone health because it helps regulate calcium in the body. It may also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Vitamin D deficiency can make bones weaker and potentially lead to osteoporosis. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include joint pain, muscle pain and weakness, bone pain, fatigue, numbness, breathing problems and seasonal affective disorder. Therefore vitamin D supplementation may be able to help alleviate joint pain, particularly if it’s caused by an inflammatory condition like rheumatoid arthritis. If you want to up your vitamin D intake then consider eating vitamin D rich foods like mushrooms, egg yolk, beef liver, oily fish and fortified cereals. You can also get vitamin D supplements – but consult your doctor first if possible, as too much vitamin D can be toxic.
4. Inflammatory foods
While osteoarthritis isn’t caused by an overactive immune system like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation does still play a part in the condition. Over the last decade it’s become clear that osteoarthritis is a more complicated condition than initially thought . Inflammatory mediators (small molecules and proteins released by cells) are released by damaged cartilage, bone and synovium and may play a role in osteoarthritis.
Inflammatory foods like sugary foods, junk food (e.g. processed food), red meats,white flour, deep fried food, trans fats and alcohol may play a detrimental role in osteoarthritis. Anti inflammatory foods include those rich in omega 3, vitamin C, polyphenols found in olive oil, whole grains, plant based foods (primarily foods made up of vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts) and gut friendly foods like yoghurt and tempeh – all of which may provide noticeable health benefits by reducing inflammation and also promoting overall wellbeing. Everyone is different, so experiment with which kinds of foods you like and feel good to eat.
5. Smoking
“It is unequivocally proven that smoking leads to significant harm throughout the body,” says Gerling. “There’s no exception in the muscular skeletal system. Healing any type of wear and tear or everyday damage to the muscular skeletal system will be impaired by using nicotine products, including smoking and vaping.” Nicotine is known to narrow blood vessels and restrict oxygen flow, which restricts the amount of oxygen and nutrients available to the cartilage. Smoking can also increase your risk of osteoporosis. Aside from that, it’s universally accepted that smoking is bad for you at this point.
6. Carrying extra weight
“There is a much higher incidence of lower extremity joint degeneration in people with obesity,” says Gerling. “It makes sense that more force is placed on the joint during every day activities, which leads to accelerated wear and tear. Maintaining a healthy diet and weight with regular sporting activities is crucial for both supporting the nutritional needs of the muscular skeletal system, and for preventing excessive wear and tear.” Being overweight or obese also comes with a host of health risks, so it is worth exploring ways of eating a healthier diet and getting some exercise.
7. Poor posture
“Poor posture leads to imbalance in the shoulders and spine,” says Gerling. “Maintaining a neutral position allows the joints of the spine to remain stable when forces are applied, including lifting, performing activities of daily living and everyday injuries.”
Alignment is really important because proper alignment helps evenly distribute your weight as you move. Slumping can put too much pressure on certain joints, which can eventually lead to cartilage damage. Good posture isn’t just important for lifting heavy weights; it’s also important when sitting at a computer, texting on your phone or sitting on the couch. Try to listen to your body – if something hurts, try moving it and see if the pain reduces.
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