The Secrets of Joint Pain Relief
By Sara Butler
Life can be a real pain in the … joints. As you age, natural wear and tear occur in your joints making them a little bit more painful than they used to be when you were a spring chicken. Since your chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic know all about joint pain, here are just a few of the ways you can combat pain in your joints to help you move around more comfortably.
Keep it Moving!
One of your first inclinations, when you're suffering from pain in your joints, is to rest, but that’s exactly the opposite of what you should be doing. Exercise may help you to strengthen the muscles around the joint and also help to improve circulation, which will then help deliver nutrients and fluid to the joint -- and that will probably help to ease some of the discomforts. Of course, you only want to do exercise you are physically capable of doing; otherwise, you risk injuring yourself and adding another problem on top of your joint pain. Talk to your chiropractor about which exercises may be right for you and your particular case.
Keep Hydrated!
Another key to helping ease joint pain is to keep your joints lubricated. You can’t do this via an oil can like the Tin Man, but you can do it by making sure you’re getting enough water each day. If you’re wondering if water is the best option, the answer is going to be yes! This is because other beverages, especially caffeinated ones, may have the opposite effect of hydration and cause water to be removed from your body. You should aim for drinking about half of your body weight in ounces of water each day.
Fun fact: If you have any swelling around your joints, drinking enough water every day may help to combat some of the swelling by pushing excess fluid out of the joint!
Keep on Chiropractin’!
Of course, one of the best things you can do to combat joint pain is to see your chiropractor regularly. When you’re adjusted on a regular basis it helps your joints to be more limber and retain their range of motion. It’s important to keep your body moving the right way mechanically, and your chiropractor is kind of an expert on the whole body mechanics thing! They can help to keep your body balanced and chugging along the road of life, hopefully in less pain!