How to tackle aching joints

Do joint aches often prevent you from living your life as you’d like to? Around one third of all adults experience joint pain frequently, many of whom are between ages 21-40 years; this isn’t just a problem for the old and injured. The most common areas of pain include the shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, ankle, feet and toe joints, all of which can have a severe impact on the mobility and flexibility of an individual.

What causes joint pain?

A sedentary lifestyle is one of the leading causes of joint pain in young and middle-aged adults. If you’re not exercising enough to compensate for all the sitting and not eating healthy, your joints will become stiffer and harder to use in regular activities.

If you’re suffering from joint pain despite eating healthy and staying active, you might have a more serious condition behind your joint pain. Some of them are:

Rheumatoid arthritis: This is a very common form of arthritis and the leading cause of joint pain. It is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks the lining of your joints, causing inflammation and pain.

Osteoarthritis: This is another form of arthritis that happens due to the wear and tear of the joints. When the cartilage between your bones wears out, it can no longer protect your joints. This is another leading cause of joint pain, particularly in arthritis

Less common forms of arthritis: Reactive arthritis occur when an infection in one part of the body causes joint pains; septic arthritis takes place when germs enter the bloodstream, causing pain; people with psoriasis can develop psoriatic arthritis, which is relatively rare

Ankylosing spondylitis: This is type of inflammatory disease that causes smaller bones to fuse together, resulting in joint pains.

Lupus: Lupus is another autoimmune disease that causes stiffness, pain and inflammation. It is difficult to diagnose and may not be detected immediately, even by a medical professional.

Gout: A gout attack occurs when uric acid crystallizes and gets deposited between joints, causing aches and pain.

Lyme disease: If you have pets at home, pay attention to this. Borrelia bacterium is a type of bacteria spread through ticks, and it can cause painful joints.

If you suffer from joint pain and do not live a sedentary lifestyle, consider visiting a doctor to get a professional diagnosis.

What are the symptoms of joint pains?

The space where two or more bones meet is known as a joint. You may feel pain at this junction usually when you’re moving but also even when staying still, on occasion. Often, joint pain will occur in conjunction with other symptoms. You may notice swelling in your joints, mild fever, redness, noisy joints, and reduced mobility among others.

Tips to soothe joint pain

Here are some simple home remedies if you need immediate relief from pain:

Cold compresses: Use an ice pack to relieve yourself from paint, making sure that it is wrapped in some kind of thin cloth to prevent direct contact with your skin. Apply it at short intervals for 15-30 minutes. Avoid using heat, which is more useful for muscle injuries.

Use a brace: Get yourself a brace or a wrap that you can use around the affected joint. This helps hold the joint in place and reduces the load on it, allowing you to proceed with your activities with less pain.

Rest: If you find yourself experiencing pain in a joint that you use often, let it take some time off. Try to avoid the activity that caused the pain for a few days or weeks, and allow your joints the time to heal.

Nature-focused therapies

• An olive oil massage: Olive oil is beneficial for bone health. Massage your painful joints with cold-pressed olive oil twice a day, and also try to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil when you cook.
• A ginger-infused joint wrap: Ginger can help reduce inflammation when consumed in adequate amounts.Grate a half cup of ginger and bring it to a boil in two cups of water. Put a washcloth into the water and let it boil, then turn off the heat and leave the cloth in the mixture for 15 minutes. Squeeze the cloth and spread it on the painful joint until it cools. This is a relaxing and effective treatment for painful joints.
• Omega 3 fatty acids: Omega 3 fatty acids improve blood flow, thereby reducing joint pain and swelling. Foods like flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts are great sources of fatty acids. If you’re finding it hard to get enough Omega 3 in your diet, try out a supplement. Setu offers veg and fish oil Omega 3 supplements that are all natural and have no aftertaste. Check it out here.
• Haldi doodh: Curcumin is a powerful medicinal compound in turmeric that can help relieve joint pain. Mix 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric and half a teaspoon of grated ginger into a glass of warm milk and drink it before bed

FAQs

1. How do I tell where my pain comes from?

It’s hard to locate joint pain on your own, and as you may have noticed from the text above, the causes can vary. Talk to a professional to identify the real source of your joint pain.

2. My pain keeps on coming and going. Is this normal?

Joint pain isn’t always constant, so yes, this is normal. It is also possible that what you might be feeling is actually muscle strain, brought on by exercise or through overworking certain muscles. Talk to a professional if your pain lasts longer than a few days.