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Treatment for joint pain
Body Part:
Full Body
Equipment:
None
Level:
Beginner
Freedom of Movement: A Full-Body Treatment for Joint Pain
Our joints are involved whether we’re moving forwards, backwards, sideways, making a hinge or circular motion. Joints help make possible everything from small, daily activities like toothbrushing to intense full-body sports like triathlons. Joint pain, even if it’s mild, can have a considerable impact on our quality of life. Although joint pain is most commonly felt in the knees, hips, spine, and shoulders, any body part can be affected. Joint pain can cause tenderness, stiffness, swelling, and limited mobility; it may be the result of joint inflammation. You may notice that your joints feel stiff when you first wake up in the morning but loosen as you begin to move. Stretching is an easy way to manage mild to severe joint pain. (Resting affected joints may increase pain.) We’ve developed a full-body exercise routine that can help ease pain and stiffness, improve your range of motion, and increase your flexibility. This routine may help relieve arthritis pain. All you need to perform our treatment for joint pain is a chair and a pillow. You’ll find our exercise video and step-by-step instructions below. Keep reading if you’d like to learn more about your joints, movement, and joint pain.
What’s the point of a joint?
A joint connects two or more bones. Most of the 360 joints in our bodies are mobile, helping our bones to move. Between the joints and bones is cartilage, a protective tissue that keeps the bones from rubbing against each other. Our joints are lined with synovium, a soft-tissue membrane that produces synovial fluid. Also known as joint fluid, synovial fluid is a thick, sticky liquid that lubricates our joints, ensures smooth movement, and nourishes the cartilage. Tough, elastic bands called ligaments hold our joints in place and connect bones to other bones. Our bones are connected to muscles by flexible cord-like tissue called tendons.
Moving your joints.
We can move our joints thanks to our muscles and fascia. Fascia is a connective tissue made mostly of collagen that covers your organs, bones, muscles, joints, and blood vessels. When you move, your fascia stretches. If your lifestyle is sedentary, or most of your movement is unilateral (perhaps because of your job), your muscles can lose strength and become stiff, and your fascia can tighten around your muscles. Weak, stiff muscles and tight fascia can compress your joints, causing wear, tear, and pain.
You may be experiencing joint pain because of a condition. Common conditions that cause joint pain include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis (both cause chronic pain).
- Bursitis.
- Tendinitis.
- Fibromyalgia.
- Gout.
Fight Pain with Information.
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Your Personal Pain Scale
While you are exercising, pay attention to your personal pain scale. This is your body's gauge that measures the intensity at which you exercise from 1 to 10.
One would be like pushing your finger into your forehead. You'd feel a little pressure, but that's it. You've gone above a 10 if your breathing becomes irregular or you feel yourself tense up. For each exercise, aim for an intensity between 8 and 9. If you find that you are experiencing pain that's higher than 9, reduce the intensity so you can continue exercising without pain.
Stretches for Painful Joints
Exercise 1: Neck Stretch
- Sit at the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Make a fist with your left hand, bring it to your shoulder and pull your shoulder down.
- Put your right hand on top of your head and pull it to the right.
- You’ll feel a stretch along the left side of your neck.
- On each exhale, intensify the stretch until you reach between 8 and 9 on your personal pain scale.
- Hold for 2 minutes.
While holding this position, check to make sure that your spine is straight and your left shoulder is down.
- Slowly release your hands and finish.
- Repeat on the other side.
Exercise 2: Spine Stretch
- Bring the soles of your feet together.
- Grab the tops of your feet with both hands and pull your upper body down and forward. Go as far as you can.
- You’ll feel a stretch at the base of your spine. You might also feel a stretch in your groin and legs.
- After 1 minute, place a hand on the crown of your head and pull your head down.
- On each exhale, pull your head further down.
- When you reach between 8 and 9 on your personal pain scale, hold for 1 minute.
- Release your hand, slowly come up and finish.
Exercise 3: Thigh Stretch
Place a cushion at the foot of the chair.
- Stand with your back to the front of the chair.
- Place your right shin on the chair.
- Slowly slide down until your right knee is resting on the cushion.
- Lean back against your heel.
- You’ll feel a stretch in your thigh.
- On each exhale, lean further back.
- Hold for 1.5 minutes.
- Slowly come out of the position and repeat the stretch on the other leg.
Exercise 4: Back Stretch
- Move your cushion a few feet away from the chair.
- Kneel on the cushion and place your forearms on the chair seat.
- Keeping your upper arms upright, let your pelvis hang.
- You’ll feel a stretch in your lower and mid back.
- On each exhale, let your pelvis hang lower.
- Hold for 2 minutes.
Exercise 6: Knee Stretch
Move the cushion away from the chair.
- Stand in front of the chair.
- Keeping your legs straight, bend at the waist toward the chair and place your hands on the seat.
- You’ll feel a stretch in the back of your knees.
- On each exhale, increase the intensity of the stretch by going further toward the chair.
- After about 2 minutes, slowly rock back and forth and go deeper into the stretch. Hold.
- Slowly stand up and finish.
Exercise 7: Inner Thigh Stretch
- Stand facing the back of the chair.
- Grip the top and take as wide a stance as you can. You’ll feel a stretch along your inner thighs.
- Keeping your back straight and your pelvis aligned, slowly rock back and forth.
- Pause and widen your stance.
- Hold for 2 minutes.
- Slowly bring your feet together and finish.
Exercise 8: Calf Stretch
- Stand facing the corner of a room.
- Straighten your arms and raise them so they are at a 30° angle to your shoulders. Place your hands on the wall.
- Step back with your right foot and bend your left leg until you feel a stretch in your right calf.
- Intensify the stretch by leaning your sternum into the corner.
- Hold for 1 minute and switch feet.
- Hold for 1 minute.
- Slowly move away from the wall and finish.
Manage your joint pain with regular exercise.
We recommend that you perform our treatment for joint pain 6 days a week and leave 1 day for rest. Continue while pain persists.
Fight Pain with Information.
Subscribe to The Pain Relief Advisor
Sign up for our free newsletter and discover how to manage your pain yourself. Every two weeks, we’ll deliver follow-along videos and articles to your inbox.
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