The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do if You Have Joint Pain
Woman experiencing joint pain in her knee
Joint pain is likely rather low on your wishlist. It can impact your mobility, sleep and quality of life in general. The truth is that your body talks to you, and it may be using your joints as a megaphone.
"Joint pain, like any other pain in the body, is a signal that something may not be working properly in our musculoskeletal system," says Dr. Jeffrey Zarin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement surgery at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.
Understanding joint pain is crucial. "Treatment has to be tailored to the diagnosis, so it is essential to understand exactly where the pain is coming from," says Dr. Georgiy Brusovanik, MD, an orthopedist.
Part of that treatment might involve avoiding a particular temptation. Experts share the one thing not to do when you experience joint pain (and what to do instead).
Related: Here's How Many Days Per Week You Should Work Out if You Want to See Results, According to Trainers
What's a Joint, Anyway?
Before getting into the dos and don'ts of joint pain, it might help to know what one is.
"A joint is generally defined as an intersection between bones in our body and includes all our body parts that allow the joint to move appropriately," Dr. Zarin says. "This includes the muscles, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, joint fluid, and other tissues around the joints to keep them healthy and moving properly."
When there's pain, it means one of these components may be injured or not functioning properly.
What Causes Joint Pain?
Joint pain flares up when the tissues within the joints become aggravated. "This usually results in the joint swelling, becoming warm and painful from both the inflammation, but also the associated swelling," says Dr. James B. Chen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at DISC Sports & Spine Center
Dr. Zarin says that common culprits include certain types of activities that increase inflammation or weakened joint stability, obesity, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle.
What's the Worst Thing You Can Do When You Have Joint Pain?
You should never push through the pain by continuing whatever is causing or exacerbating the issue. "If you have joint pain, you should avoid things that aggravate it or make it worse," Dr. Zarin says.
For instance, Dr. Zarin says it wouldn't be wise to continue long-distance running if you've injured your knee and there's damage to the cartilage because you could continue to aggravate or speed up damage (rather than your running pace).
"Repetitive impact to an injured joint can lead to long-term consequences including permanent damage to the cartilage—arthritis—or intractable pain and inflammation," Dr. Zarin explains.
It's a bummer, especially if you love to exercise. And another doctor echoes Dr. Zarin's sentiments. "If you have joint pain, it is important to identify the reason and adjust your activity accordingly," says Dr. Chen.
That said, joint pain doesn't always put you on the bench. Depending on the reason for joint pain, a specialist might recommend doing some favorite activities in moderation. "If you have mild to moderate arthritis of the knee and consistently perform repetitive, high-impact exercises, you may want to consider reducing the frequency of such activities in place for lower-impact exercises while adding in flexibility and stabilization exercises," Dr. Chen says, explaining that adding in days where you do lower-impact exercises—like yoga and Pilates—can help reduce joint pain risks.
The TLDR? Don't ignore your body.
"It is safe to listen to one’s pain to guide what one can and cannot do, especially if a patient is not taking narcotics, thereby interfering with their pain-feedback mechanism," Dr. Brusovanik says.
But call your doctor first. "If you are in pain, you need a diagnosis," Dr. Brusovanik explains. "Communicate clearly with [your] doctor about where the pain is emanating from, with what frequency and what actions may exacerbate the pain."
Other Tips for People With Joint Pain
1. Don't avoid exercise completely
Having joint pain doesn't mean you have to write off exercise entirely. In fact, skipping physical activity can actually increase your risk for joint pain.
"Exercise, especially as we age, is one of the most important things we can do to maintain and improve our overall health," Dr. Chen says. "Not only will lack of exercise result in muscle loss around the joint, causing more joint pain from sub-optimal functionality, but it will also affect your cardiovascular and overall health."
The kicker? "We then have the difficult challenge of resolving your joint pain and restoring your fitness to your baseline," Dr. Chen says.
2. Don't skip the warm-up and cool down
Exercise is great, but it's about more than just the main event. Dr. Zarin shares that leaving enough time to get the body going before a workout and recover afterward is crucial.
"Stretch and warm up before activities." Dr. Zarin says. "Ice and cool down after activity. This can help prevent injury and trauma to the joints."
3. Avoid over-medicating
While anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve pain, Dr. Zarin suggests using them sparingly. "These medications can be helpful to treat an acute flare-up of joint pain but have significant side effects when used for the long term," Dr. Zarin says. "Utilize other anti-inflammatory techniques first, if possible, such as massage, stretching and topical medications."
Related: What Is the Best Exercise for High Cortisol Levels? Here's What Experts Say
What Are Long-Term Solutions to Joint Pain?
Dr. Chen says it depends on the reason for the joint pain. Medications, surgery and physical therapy might help. Additionally, Dr. Zarin says lifestyle habits can also reduce joint pain (and the risk of developing it). Dr. Zarin recommends:
Eating healthy
Maintaining a healthy weight
Remaining fit and flexible
Avoiding repetitive impacts or prolonged joint strain
Next up: The Absolute Best Workout for Heart Health If You're Over 50, According to Cardiologists
Sources
Dr. Jeffrey Zarin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement surgery at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute
Dr. Georgiy Brusovanik, MD, an orthopedist
Dr. James B. Chen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at DISC Sports & Spine Center
