Boning up Your Joint Health: Get Natural Joint Pain Relief with these Treatment Tips

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Massage is one way to find natural joint pain relief | BC Living

Don’t let joint problems make or break you, get back at joint pain and find natural joint pain relief

We all suffer the occasional bone-creaking ache or pain—whether from sitting at a desk all day, exercising too hard or sleeping in a strange position.

But as we age, it’s critical that we bone up on joint health and understand how to find natural joint pain relief in order to keep our bodies from creaking too much. Anyone who suffers from joint problems knows how painful joints can affect quality of life.

Joint Health Affects the Entire Body

You know the old song – the hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone and so on. Everything links together. Bones give the body its shape, protect the internal organs, enable movement, produce blood, store minerals, remove toxins and even regulate sugar and fat.

And to function effectively, bones need support from well-oiled joints. “Joints are an integral part of skeletal system – they are what provides movement,” says Stephanie Bonn, a doctor of chiropractic at Bonn Chiropractic in Vancouver.

Located where two or more bones make contact, joints may be fixed, like in the skull, slightly movable, like in the spine or movable “synovial” joints that swing, glide, bend, extend or pivot like wrists, knees and elbows.

All but one of the 206 bones in the body forms a joint. (The hyoid bone floats in your neck — secured by muscle — just below your voice box.)

Causes of Joint Pain

Joint pain can occur for a number of reasons:

• Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
• Illnesses and inflammation such as bursitis and gout
• Infectious diseases such as mumps, measles, the flu and mono
• Injury including breaks and strains
• Disorders such as osteoarthritis
• Exertion and overuse

“It depends on the age of the person. A lot of it is repetitive strain or not moving enough, but the sore, achy inflamed joints can happen with young people, too. As we get older, we can get degenerative arthritis too,” says Dr. Bonn.

Avoid the Need for Natural Joint Health Relief with Preventative Health Measures to Avoid Joint Pain

Even if you’re genetically predisposed for rheumatoid arthritis, you can protect and support joint health. Watch for soreness, inflammation, aches and stiffness that persist, and be sure to have them checked out.

Dr. Bonn recommends preventing joint wear and tear through natural means with nutrition, exercise and “movement — and the right kind. Joints can really be affected by lack of movement or ergonomic strain. Alignment is also really important so that everything is in balance and your joints move effectively.”

Practice mindful movement, adds Melanie Osmack, director and franchisor of Fit 4 Two, a national fitness chain. “Mindful movement involves thinking about what you are doing physically. Consider breath, form and purpose.” If you experience joint pain while working out, “Stop working out,” says Osmack. “You should never feel joint pain while exercising. If you are, either your form is incorrect or you have an injury.”

Gone are the days of no pain, no gain. She encourages people to cross train – to mix up their exercise routines – so that they avoid overusing the same joints. “A proper warm up and cool down are essential to joint health,” says Osmack.

Options for Natural Joint Pain Relief

Dr. Bonn says natural joint pain relief can come from reviewing biomechanics. Figuring out how you’re moving and what your alignment is like can help determine the cause of joint pain. For example, the way you position your neck may be causing you neck pain.

She also suggests avoiding repetitive strain by varying your movements. Carrying purses or laptop bags, lifting children, sitting at a desk all day, typing and other repetitive movements put strain on joints.

Joint pain can also be managed naturally through:

• Diet and nutrition: Eat well, drink plenty of liquids and avoid caffeine and sugar.
• Supplements and vitamins: Glucosamine, Vitamin D and calcium can help prevent joint pain, says Dr. Bonn. Glucosamine, which naturally occurs in the body, helps put off joint degeneration and restore cartilage.
• Massage: Turn to massage to relieve pain, reduce swelling, soothe aches and improve circulation.
• Chiropractic: Chiropractic treatments can improve the flow of synovial joint fluid, which keeps joints lubricated and slows down wear and tear.  
• Physiotherapy: Look to physio for help in assessing and improving physical function.
• Orthotics: Have a podiatrist, physiotherapist or chiropractor look at whether your feet may be causing misalignment of your joints.

Before considering surgery, work to improve your joint health.

“Rehab your joints. Once you start on surgery, it’s hard not to stay on that path. By getting the spine in balance, it improves biomechanics so you won’t have so much wear and tear,” says Dr. Bonn. “Preventative is better than a Band-Aid approach.”