When your joints hurt – whether it be from chronic pain, osteoarthritis, or a recovery period following surgery – the physical discomfort goes hand-in-hand with a psychological issue: a loss of confidence in your joints that can lead to a reluctance to use them, either out of fear of experiencing pain, or fear of making the pain worse.
This loss of confidence can cause you to avoid movement when keeping moving is the very thing you need to be doing, while having a negative impact on your ability to socialise and your overall quality of life. It is, however, possible to regain your confidence, and these seven tips are designed to help you to trust your joints again, get moving and manage your pain.
Understand why confidence erodes
Joint pain can result in a vicious cycle whereby the fear of experiencing pain or discomfort stops you using the joint, which in turn makes the joint stiffer, weaker and ultimately leads to greater pain. The same applies when you have undergone joint surgery, after which many people feel anxious about injuring the new joint again.
Understanding this cycle is key to breaking it, helping you to realise that using the joint actually makes it feel better, get stronger and – most importantly – manage the pain.
Movement builds confidence
When your joints are in pain, moving them is usually the last thing you want to do – but, counterintuitively, this is precisely what you need to be doing to promote the flexibility and strength that can minimise the pain. Moving your joints helps to boost circulation, strengthens the muscles that support the joint, and reduces stiffness – none of which will happen if you don’t move regularly. In fact, without movement, it’s likely the pain will get worse.
NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can play a helpful role in reducing pain to the point that you feel comfortable getting moving again, as can drug-free products like FlexiSEQ, which is clinically proven to relieve joint pain and improve mobility.
Once you have established a routine of regular, low-impact exercise, you will begin to associate movement with feeling better in your body and an increased capacity for managing joint pain.
Consult your GP or healthcare professional
Before starting any new exercise routines, it is a good idea to talk to your GP or another healthcare professional about what activities might be best suited to your personal situation and abilities. Your GP may be able to refer you to some specialist classes such as guided exercise, hydrotherapy, or yoga – or alternatively they may simply be able to provide you with some suggestions for low-impact exercises that target the specific joints you need help with.
If you have recently undergone joint replacement surgery, you will likely be seeing a physiotherapist, and/or have been given a variety of exercises to do at home by yourself. This process is absolutely vital to building up confidence in your new joint, even if it may take a little while.
Choose suitable exercises for your joints
The important thing to remember is that you are looking for small, gentle exercises that keep you moving in a regular, sustainable routine – certainly not high-intensity exercises that will push you to your limit! With that in mind, here are some good examples of low-impact exercise:
- Walking. Going for a 15-30 minute walk each day is a great way to keep moving while starting small.
- Swimming. Swimming puts all of your joints and muscles to work, but in a low-impact environment in which your body is supported by water.
- Yoga. This sort of exercise is specifically designed to improve flexibility and strength, but in a low-intensity, relaxing way.
Eat joint-healthy foods
There are several tweaks you can make to your diet in order to help improve your joint health. Most broadly, it is beneficial that you maintain a healthy weight to help relieve excess pressure on weight-bearing joints like knees and hips, and also that you stay well hydrated to lubricate your joints.
There are also a number of foods that have anti-inflammatory properties, so it can be useful to incorporate these into your diet:
- Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish (like salmon) and flaxseeds.
- Fruits and vegetables which are high in antioxidants, e.g. spinach, kale, blueberries and raspberries.
- Whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates.
- Turmeric, ginger and garlic, all of which have documented anti-inflammatory properties.
Keep a positive mindset
Although often easier said than done, it’s important to try and stay positive by focusing on what you can do rather than what you can’t. Fixating on what is no longer possible can only lead to a negative state of mind that is likely to impede your ability to manage your pain and make things worse.
Instead, try to see the positive in every little thing you can do, and consider each time you get moving or go for a walk a victory that counts towards your overall progress. Setting achievable goals is a big part of being proud of what you can do, helping you to see what you are capable of while providing tangible progress toward better pain management with each goal met.
Remember: you’re not alone
Even though joint pain can be isolating – especially if it feels mobility issues are holding you back from social activities – it’s important to remember that it isn’t something you need to face alone. There is a huge variety of support available to you, ranging from online forums to real-world exercise classes and groups in which people can meet to discuss the challenges of arthritis, chronic joint pain or post-surgery recovery.
Speaking to others who are going through the same thing as you can be very mentally beneficial, showing you that others are also facing very similar challenges while enabling you to benefit from their experience and emotional support.
Joint pain is not just a physical issue – it can both cause and be exacerbated by poor mental health. This is why doing everything you can to maintain a positive frame of mind is so important, and why – no matter how small your first steps – getting moving is a vital part of rebuilding confidence in your joints.
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