joint pains with exercise

AliceA2013
AliceA2013 Posts: 65 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone get joint pains with exercise? My doctor is not sure that the joint pains I get with gentle strength training are due to my arthritis. I would be really interested in hearing of how people have managed this in practical terms.

Replies

  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Sometimes my knees ache and hurt and it takes a bit to get started. I do also occasionally get elbow pains and slight back twinges. What has honestly helped has been making sure I do a good amount of dynamic stretching and warm ups prior to my workout and stretching after the workout. Aside from those things, the more I keep at it, the less I have the pains.

    But definitely keep working with your doctor in figuring out best ways to manage your joint pain.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Does anyone get joint pains with exercise? My doctor is not sure that the joint pains I get with gentle strength training are due to my arthritis. I would be really interested in hearing of how people have managed this in practical terms.
    This is pretty typical with arthritis... do you have access to a pool? Amazing how hard you can work in a pool and it's so much gentler on your joints plus you still burn a lot.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    - i stop when i have pain, and do gentler things until it's better. some movement is usually better than no movement.
    - i use a lighter weight and a higher rep range (10-20). & honestly, i feel safe in the lighter weights. the heaviest i've managed was 1.2x bw for deadlifts, but i don't see myself doing that again soon.
    - i stay out of the extreme ends of the range of motion
    - i try to attend to form as much as possible. if there's one i always do wrong (e.g. single leg squats - my knee rolls in), i work on improving that, or else pick a similar exercise i'm better at, rather than exacerbating problems.
    - NSAIDS are not good for soft tissue long-term. I do use Advil if nothing else will do, but try to keep it to a minimum

    What does your strength training currently comprise? Nothing wrong with bodyweight. I have had to go back to bodyweight-only more than once. And when do you have pain? Before, during, after the workout? Is the same as pain you might usually have, but worse, or different?
  • jakkisr
    jakkisr Posts: 175 Member
    I've got an arthritic left knee due to damaged cartilage from sports injuries years ago. Walking regularly really does help strengthen the leg muscles and so supports the knee and I pretty much don't have regular problems with it these days. High impact exercises can make it ache so I make sure I have good form and take it down a peg or two if its too much.

    Glucosamine chondroitine supplements made no difference over several months. Plenty of extra virgin olive oil in my diet certainly works though.

    Best advice I can give is to do warm up and cool down before/after exercise, gentle marching on the spot to get started, same to cool down, then proper leg stretches for your glutes, thighs, and calves to keep everything nice a supple and flexible.
  • SutapaMukherji
    SutapaMukherji Posts: 244 Member
    I was getting a lot of knee pains and went in for an Ortho consult today.

    The doctor asked me to continue all my exercises - both cardio and strength. He said that the pains are a result of me exercising consistently for the first time in my life; and he ruled out all chances of an injury.

    PS - He did also ask me to avoid any movement that may be causing too much pain in particular.
  • AliceA2013
    AliceA2013 Posts: 65 Member
    Thank you all for your helpful replies/suggestions. I would like to do exercise five times a week so I use a swimming pool only occasionally. I mostly do low-impact aerobics, walking, Tai Chi and, until recently, progressive resistance training (PRT) with wrist/ankle bands about 0.5-1.5kg. It was the PRT which gave me shoulder / elbow / knee pains: both during and after exercises, for up to a couple of days. It was horrible so I stopped. My doctor tells me I should persist so I wanted to get an idea of what was normal for joint pain.
  • conniedj
    conniedj Posts: 470 Member
    You have gotten some pretty good replies! I just wanted to add that I take tart cherry capsules instead of NSAIDS for pain/inflammation. I am really happy with the results! I also wanted to say that PRT is going to take a while to get down.....horrible pain isn't good though. Make sure that your form is good, and your ROM is good! With arthritis--the best thing you can do is move forward through the pain ( as long as it is not injury causing), and it will get better!
  • neplainjanepas
    neplainjanepas Posts: 37 Member
    I do! elbows and wrists. Take your omega 3's and fish oils. Go pick up a big batch from the drug store and take one with your meal.

    What do we do with a skweeky hinge? We oil it! If you were a car.. It essentially lubricates the pistons to make your machine run better.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    You have gotten some pretty good replies! I just wanted to add that I take tart cherry capsules instead of NSAIDS for pain/inflammation. I am really happy with the results! I also wanted to say that PRT is going to take a while to get down.....horrible pain isn't good though. Make sure that your form is good, and your ROM is good! With arthritis--the best thing you can do is move forward through the pain ( as long as it is not injury causing), and it will get better!
    bump to read other replies... plus thanks for the suggestions of "tart cherry capsules"... I've heard of drinking the juice but didn't realize they made capsules...
  • jalloggio
    jalloggio Posts: 141
    Does anyone get joint pains with exercise? My doctor is not sure that the joint pains I get with gentle strength training are due to my arthritis. I would be really interested in hearing of how people have managed this in practical terms.

    Everyone is a doctor! I train people recovering from injury many chriro and pt patients have come to me after insurance runs out. PM me or fr me. I dont want to write a book on here to answer your question :)
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
    Does anyone get joint pains with exercise? My doctor is not sure that the joint pains I get with gentle strength training are due to my arthritis. I would be really interested in hearing of how people have managed this in practical terms.

    Everyone is a doctor! I train people recovering from injury many chriro and pt patients have come to me after insurance runs out. PM me or fr me. I dont want to write a book on here to answer your question :)

    Or maybe you're selling something you have to sneak into a PM?
  • cbarn025
    cbarn025 Posts: 939 Member
    When I bench heavy for a month or two my elbows will ache. I bought a compression sleeve and started taking Glucoasmine and the combionation has helped me greatly.
  • resistance_freak
    resistance_freak Posts: 899
    in for advice when I can read later.
  • todayis4me
    todayis4me Posts: 184 Member
    When I first started working out I had one knee that started hurting and it got worse the more I did. Here is what advice I got and what has worked , almost three years later only occasion discomfort if I over do it.......

    I take fish oil everyday.
    Osteo Biflex triple strength with vitamin D3 I am usually not one to suggest a brand but in this case after much trial and error , well it works.
    Stretching before and after every time I exercise.
    Strength training. The trainer explained it technically and well I can't remember all that but simply put the muscles in your legs protect the knee so strengthen those muscles!

    And lastly this all has not only helped me but my five year old black lab is on the same regimen. We take our vitamins together before we go for walks :wink: hope you find relief .
  • AliceA2013
    AliceA2013 Posts: 65 Member
    "Everyone is a doctor! I train people recovering from injury many chriro and pt patients have come to me after insurance runs out. PM me or fr me. I dont want to write a book on here to answer your question :)"

    Hi, it's really kind of you to reply but I am afraid I am not sure I understood the abbreviations! Do please let me know what you think at more length, if you can spare the time. I already take fish oil capsules three times a day and am on heavy-duty anti-inflammatory agents for my rheumatoid arthritis.
  • AliceA2013
    AliceA2013 Posts: 65 Member
    From what I understand, you have managed success with your PRT and inflammatory arthritis. Is that right? If so, I salute you! You have inspired me.
  • jalloggio
    jalloggio Posts: 141
    Does anyone get joint pains with exercise? My doctor is not sure that the joint pains I get with gentle strength training are due to my arthritis. I would be really interested in hearing of how people have managed this in practical terms.

    Everyone is a doctor! I train people recovering from injury many chriro and pt patients have come to me after insurance runs out. PM me or fr me. I dont want to write a book on here to answer your question :)

    No actually im not.
    Or maybe you're selling something you have to sneak into a PM?
  • jalloggio
    jalloggio Posts: 141
    Does anyone get joint pains with exercise? My doctor is not sure that the joint pains I get with gentle strength training are due to my arthritis. I would be really interested in hearing of how people have managed this in practical terms.

    Everyone is a doctor! I train people recovering from injury many chriro and pt patients have come to me after insurance runs out. PM me or fr me. I dont want to write a book on here to answer your question :)

    Or maybe you're selling something you have to sneak into a PM?

    When it comes to injury it is best to have all the info possible, sorry you think that i'm trying to hock things online.
  • AliceA2013
    AliceA2013 Posts: 65 Member
    Thanks everyone again for their helpful tips. I already take fish oil, etc and have temporarily given up on strength-training. After all this though, I certainly aim to get back on to it with dynamic stretching / heat pads, etc.. Thank you again.

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