Joint pain is a huge issue once we have begun the aging process – and sometimes before then if we aren’t careful. It can be caused not just because of age but also arthritis, bad posture, not moving around enough, an injury or sports related from our younger years.
But, no matter what the cause of the joint pain, as we get older our collagen starts to deteriorate making our achy joints an almost daily event. Joint pain can occur anywhere in the body, but the most likely places that people experience joint pain are:
- Neck – Generally neck pain occurs because of bad posture, stress or sleeping – or lack of – issues.
- Knees – The knees happen for a lot of people. It could be from sports related issues from younger years, or just that the knees are worn out.
- Jaw – Believe it or not, the jaw can be a huge issue as we age – some people develop TMJ or other problems.
- Lower back – This one is a big one for a lot of people and can be caused by a number of things. Possibly a job you had when you were younger required heavy lifting or you’ve just had a “bad back” for as long as you can remember and don’t really know why. That can happen a lot as we age.
- Hips – As we age the joints in our hips make getting out of bed and walking sometimes a problem. We just put it off as old age and getting stiffer.
- Shoulders – Same as the hip – we just assume it’s part of the aging process and we accept it and move on.
- Hands and wrists – Many of us worked on a computer for years so we struggle with pain in our fingers and wrists – several of us have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome because of these joint issues.
Now that you know some of the problem areas found in aging adults, the next question is obviously, what can we do about it? There are several things you can do and try, but with so many options out there, find what works the best for you and for your lifestyle.
Hot and Cold Compress
If you find you need joint pain relief immediately then rest the joint and use a hot and cold compress to help alleviate the pain. You can do 20 minutes of heat and immediately after 20 minutes of cold. If you experience any swelling, stay off the joint and be sure to put on ice or heat every day until you feel some relief. You might try keeping it elevated to help reduce the swelling that can come from a sore or stiff joint.
Because peppermint and eucalyptus have a built-in cooling mechanism, both of these can also be used to help joints that are swollen or sore. Either can be absorbed quickly through the skin so that you can find comfort fairly quickly.
Soak in Epsom Salt
This remedy has been around for ages and it’s still a tried and true method of helping to reduce joint and muscle pain. Because it’s high in sulfates and magnesium they are able to be absorbed through the skin so they can relieve inflammation and relax muscles to bring your body the relief it needs.
It’s as simple as adding two cups of salt to your nightly bath and relaxing for about 20 minutes. If you’d like, you can even add some essential oils to the bath as well – lavender and peppermint are two that most people find helpful. If you don’t have time for a soak in the tub, you can put the salts into a gallon of water, place a towel or washcloth in it and apply the towel directly to the sore joint. Either way will work wonders to alleviate your pain.
Staying Active
As we age our bodies slow down if we let them. However, staying in motion helps to keep your joints strong and healthy. If you aren’t moving then they are moving which allows them to tighten up and not perform their best. If you suffer from arthritis a lack of movement will simply worsen that condition. If you exercise regularly then you will help to strengthen joints and muscles which will improve your circulation and help reduce pain.
If you keep your muscles and joints strong then your chances of getting injured become lower too and you won’t experience some of the pain that others your age might endure. If you are active you will also be able to stay fit, keeping you from gaining weight and putting even more stress and strain on your joints. You can do low impact exercises to avoid injury and help maintain healthy joints – water aerobics and yoga are great for this.
If you haven’t maintained an active lifestyle then start slow and work your way up to something more challenging. You can move from just walking to power walking or bicycle riding. There are so many options that you have to choose from to help keep your joints working and moving for many, many years.
Improve Your Diet
When you suffer from joint pain some of the things you eat can contribute to that pain. Also, what you eat can contribute to those joints feeling better. Eating a diet high in Omega-3 can help – this includes fish and walnuts – and Omega-3 helps lower inflammation throughout the body.
Antioxidants that are found in fruits and vegetables are extremely helpful in working against the aging process. Eat a diet that doesn’t have a lot processed foods and added sugar in them because these are known to cause inflammation in the body, thus, causing unnecessary stress to your joints.
Eat foods that are high in protein so that you can get the amount of collagen that you need in order to maintain healthy joints. These are foods like, chicken, beef, fish, and eggs. Natural bone broth is also high in protein if you prefer to go that route rather than with meats.
If you likely don’t or won’t eat a healthier diet, there are all-natural supplements that you can take in order to help with some of the joint pain issues you might be experiencing. You can get them over-the-counter and local drugstores or health food stores.
Lose Weight
When you carry around additional pounds then it puts added stress on your joints. If you already have joint pain then being heavy will only compound that problem. If you can lose some weight it might actually relieve some of the pain you already feel in your joints. Not only is additional weight bad for your joints it can also affect your bones too. Losing weight can not only make you feel better now, but it can also help prevent problems that might occur in the future.
Acupuncture
People are trying acupuncture for so many things these days and it can even be helpful in reducing joint pain. Needles are inserted into your skin in various places to help restore a kind of balance to your body. While many people believe in it, it’s important that if you decide to use this type of treatment, you find someone who is licensed in the practice so you get the best care possible.
Try a Massage
There are two possibilities with massage – you can get someone to do it, or you can learn to do it yourself. Find a good physical therapist to work with and go for weekly massages – concentrating on the joints that hurt the most. They can also work with you to learn how to do some of the massage yourself at home – that will save you money and you’ll be able to do the massages any time you feel like you need them done.
Just because you are getting older does not mean that you have to suffer for sore joints for the rest of your life. You deserve to live the life you want to live and by making a few changes in your lifestyle you can have strong, healthy joints that don’t hurt every, single day.
