How to deal with joint pain?

13»

Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,514 Member
    I have had great success with cross training.

    I love spinning as a way to work out the soreness of running while building strength. Most years, I also swim, but I'm scared of the pool these days.
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,191 Member
    I think possibly rest to start with then slowly start to build strength using weights but take it steady and listen to your body. I strap up my elbows and knees when I exercise to help I also take turmeric and glucosamine and chondroitin as I find it works for joint pain(hubby was told to take it for his rheumatoid arthritis).
    I also have a foam roller which i use to help with pain and do leg stretches daily to help. When my knees went last year it took 2 months to get them better so I think you have to be patient unfortunately. Good luck
  • JessBbody
    JessBbody Posts: 523 Member
    Reviving this thread because I have a question and I hope someone can answer it. Didn't want to start a new thread.

    Right now I have a mild - moderate stabbing pain in my left hip, or it may be the hip flexor, I'm not sure. It's in the front and it happens when I'm standing.

    I didn't work out yesterday and can't tomorrow. I wanted to get in a light walk at home workout tonight but not sure if I should give my hip a rest until Saturday or Sunday. Not sure what this pain could mean. I have been having intermittent pain in both hips lately.

    I just took a Motrin. Do you suggest I rest or do the workout if I can work through it. Thank you.
  • naturegirldebbie
    naturegirldebbie Posts: 11 Member
    JessBbody wrote: »
    Reviving this thread because I have a question and I hope someone can answer it. Didn't want to start a new thread.

    Right now I have a mild - moderate stabbing pain in my left hip, or it may be the hip flexor, I'm not sure. It's in the front and it happens when I'm standing.

    I didn't work out yesterday and can't tomorrow. I wanted to get in a light walk at home workout tonight but not sure if I should give my hip a rest until Saturday or Sunday. Not sure what this pain could mean. I have been having intermittent pain in both hips lately.

    I just took a Motrin. Do you suggest I rest or do the workout if I can work through it. Thank you.
    **
    Mine get so bad I cannot get out of bed for days, let alone walk or work out. I recently found doing clamshells, especially doing the part where you bring down your lifted knee together with the flat one REALLY slowly nearly totally stops the pain. Sometimes I add weights to the side of knee coming down.
  • LGS_RFS
    LGS_RFS Posts: 78 Member
    edited November 2020
    Take a little rest then try out hip abductor and adductor exercises and stretches. Those should help with mobility, hip and lower back pain.

  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Like @Theoldguy1, these guys are great. I'd have it looked at if it doesn't stop after taking a bit of a break.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgG7q4jDJik&feature=emb_title
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,290 Member
    I take glucosamine and collagen...but that's for a connective tissue disorder...don't run...

    Have you tried cycling?
  • B_Plus_Effort
    B_Plus_Effort Posts: 311 Member
    edited November 2020
    JessBbody wrote: »
    Reviving this thread because I have a question and I hope someone can answer it. Didn't want to start a new thread.

    Right now I have a mild - moderate stabbing pain in my left hip, or it may be the hip flexor, I'm not sure. It's in the front and it happens when I'm standing.

    I didn't work out yesterday and can't tomorrow. I wanted to get in a light walk at home workout tonight but not sure if I should give my hip a rest until Saturday or Sunday. Not sure what this pain could mean. I have been having intermittent pain in both hips lately.

    I just took a Motrin. Do you suggest I rest or do the workout if I can work through it. Thank you.

    Hey Jess that sucks, you do not mention your age and I know in the States asking a ladies age is not the thing to do, but maybe you can tell us what decade you are in ha ha. I ask because at 48 I do not recover in days like I did in my 20s or in weeks like I did in my 30s, now it's honestly all about months of rest, it sucks big time I know especially for those of us who like to stay busy.

    One thing you could try after some rest is to walk or jog on a treadmill instead of on pavement because a treadmill well a good one at least will give a bit, they are spring loaded so your body does not take the same kind of pounding as it would on the blacktop for example.

    Also a hip is serious so please see a doctor just to be sure, if it is really bad ask for some sort of a scan, sorry I am clueless as to which MRI maybe or is it a CAT scan?!
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    Variety helps me with joint pain. As does reduction in overall volume...
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    JessBbody wrote: »
    Reviving this thread because I have a question and I hope someone can answer it. Didn't want to start a new thread.

    Right now I have a mild - moderate stabbing pain in my left hip, or it may be the hip flexor, I'm not sure. It's in the front and it happens when I'm standing.

    I didn't work out yesterday and can't tomorrow. I wanted to get in a light walk at home workout tonight but not sure if I should give my hip a rest until Saturday or Sunday. Not sure what this pain could mean. I have been having intermittent pain in both hips lately.

    I just took a Motrin. Do you suggest I rest or do the workout if I can work through it. Thank you.

    Do you sit alot? Sitting puts the hip flexors in a shortened position tightning the muscles. Also, do you sleep on your side with the knees up in a fetal position? In addition to sitting ths position is alos shortens the hip flexors for an extended period of time.

    Check some most famous physical therapists on the internet videos on sleep positions.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    JessBbody wrote: »
    Reviving this thread because I have a question and I hope someone can answer it. Didn't want to start a new thread.

    Right now I have a mild - moderate stabbing pain in my left hip, or it may be the hip flexor, I'm not sure. It's in the front and it happens when I'm standing.

    I didn't work out yesterday and can't tomorrow. I wanted to get in a light walk at home workout tonight but not sure if I should give my hip a rest until Saturday or Sunday. Not sure what this pain could mean. I have been having intermittent pain in both hips lately.

    I just took a Motrin. Do you suggest I rest or do the workout if I can work through it. Thank you.

    With a stabbing pain, I'd be concerned that it's more likely to be injury than simple overuse/inflammation. If it were me, I'd rest it, use cold or heat depending on the stage you're at, try the mild stretching but stop if it aggravates it. If it doesn't go away in a few days, I think that advice to see a doctor is good. Some conditions get worse if we try to work through them, some get better. It's good to know which type you're dealing with, IMO.
  • B_Plus_Effort
    B_Plus_Effort Posts: 311 Member
    edited November 2020
    happy to see this thread got some traction, I just want to give a quick update on my joints, so I found that swimming has been absolutely amazing the last 2 months and I have lost 23 pounds and dropped 4% of body fat, building up from 30 minutes to 45 to now 1 hour of swimming every single day, but I have some bad news, today is the last day the pool will be open, that's right they are closing it this year indefinitely which is upsetting because we always have like 6 swimmers in there at a time and there's only 7 lanes anyway, plus this is part of our Home Owners Association monthly dues which they will continue to collect

    I found that my recumbent stationary bike is fine on my knees so I can ride that for cardio and some lower body low impact exercise, but I still don't know what to do for upper body resistance training?

    6q1rg3lzq84e.jpg
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,191 Member
    happy to see this thread got some traction, I just want to give a quick update on my joints, so I found that swimming has been absolutely amazing the last 2 months and I have lost 23 pounds and dropped 4% of body fat, building up from 30 minutes to 45 to now 1 hour of swimming every single day, but I have some bad news, today is the last day the pool will be open, that's right they are closing it this year indefinitely which is upsetting because we always have like 6 swimmers in there at a time and there's only 7 lanes anyway, plus this is part of our Home Owners Association monthly dues which they will continue to collect

    I found that my recumbent stationary bike is fine on my knees so I can ride that for cardio and some lower body low impact exercise, but I still don't know what to do for upper body resistance training?

    6q1rg3lzq84e.jpg

    xrkeg3z03hre.jpg
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,905 Member
    edited November 2020
    Maybe the pool will reopen if all this Covid stuff dies down a bit in the spring or summer?

    You can always do what I do and wear a wetsuit and swim in open water. :)

    Also, extra points for this:
    Also, an anti-inflammatory diet is really helpful for my pain level.

    Talk to me Goose? I am all for getting my nutrients and vitamins from real food, but someone on Instagram (in great shape and older than me 48+) recommended Turmeric so I picked up a random bottle of it at my grocery store and am giving that a shot, it's been a couple weeks now and I don't think it's doing squat, ha ha


    I hope you used your Google skills, since I'm just seeing this...my notifications thingy is broken so I never know when someone replies to me in the forums.

    "Anti Inflammatory" food plans are everywhere. For me it's low sugar and very limited amounts of grains.

  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited December 2020
    Most Turmeric isn't bioavailable. My wife had Fibromyalgia for years. I buy her a more bioavailable form of it called Theracumin. Seems to help. Also, Krill Oil (or Astaxanthin/Omega 3s, which are the two things in Krill Oil), Tart Cherry and CBD Oil are all great for pain/inflammation.

    Another supplement my wife had tremendous success with (and I'm a big fan of it) is Mirica. It's a European supplement for pain. It has two ingredients. One is a root derivative and the other one is just a Polyphenol. PEA and Luteolin. PEA, researchers are finding, is great for cognitive ability and dementia prevention. What these scientist did is study like 1000 or more natural derivatives and found which reduced C-Reactive proteins the most and it was these two ingredients. It's actually cheaper than CBD Oil and my wife found it more effective. Actually she felt a major difference after taking it. She actually doesn't normally even take the Turmeric any longer on most days.

    OP -- don't make upper body too complicated. If you get some light dumbbells and do pushups, overhead presses, rows, planks and triceps dips, that's around all you should need to start with upper body.
  • B_Plus_Effort
    B_Plus_Effort Posts: 311 Member
    edited December 2020
    OP -- don't make upper body too complicated. If you get some light dumbbells and do pushups, overhead presses, rows, planks and triceps dips, that's around all you should need to start with upper body.

    Thank you for you reply and suggestions, unfortunately pushups are a big no no way too much strain on the elbow, just to give you some perspective it hurts (burns) to wash my face with cold water first thing in the morning type of thing

    rows is how I damaged it in the first place, doing the rowing machine using wrong technique but I'm the idiot to blame for that, the physical therapist said he worked at some univesity (Stanford maybe) and said half his physical therapy patient athletes were messed up rowers, ha ha

    and dips, my god how I wish I could do them but that is a bigger no no than pushups, and are they great absolutely, when I could do them I would build up to do them with a 25 lbs plate hanging from my waist, good times

    so right now here's what I can't do with the right elbow and what I can do

    can't do supported ie sitting down curls, standing up hammer curls are ok sorta

    also I can do above the head tricept extensions just fine, which I find strange as that puts a ton of strain on the elbows

    again I appreciate you offering to help and please do not see this as me making excuses, I can tolerate some pain but it gets to the point where I am asking myself am I doing further damage by doing this repetitive motion
  • B_Plus_Effort
    B_Plus_Effort Posts: 311 Member
    so emailed my family doctor today told him how well I was doing having lost over 20 lbs by swimming and how I dropped 5% in body fat, and I said now that the pool is closed I am trying to lift weights and my right elbow bothers me, so can I please have a cortisone shot, and this was his reply:

    "I do not recommend a steroid injection since it may weaken the tendons there. There is also the ulnar nerve that runs nearby."

    Specific exercises to improve golfers elbow are given below.

    Golfer's Elbow: Exercises

    Introduction

    Here are some examples of exercises for you to try. The exercises may be suggested for a condition or for rehabilitation. Start each exercise slowly. Ease off the exercises if you start to have pain.

    Wrist extensor stretch

    1. Extend your affected arm in front of you and make a fist with your palm facing down.
    2. Bend your wrist so that your fist points toward the floor.
    3. With your other hand, gently bend your wrist farther until you feel a mild to moderate stretch in your forearm.
    4. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
    5. Repeat 2 to 4 times.
    6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 with your fingers pointing toward the floor.

    Forearm extensor stretch

    1. Place your affected elbow down at your side, bent at about 90 degrees. Then make a fist with your palm facing down.
    2. Keeping your wrist bent, slowly straighten your elbow so your arm is down at your side. Then twist your fist out so your palm is facing out to the side and you feel a stretch.
    3. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
    4. Repeat 2 to 4 times.

    Wrist flexor stretch

    1. Extend your affected arm in front of you with your palm facing away from your body.
    2. Bend back your wrist, pointing your hand up toward the ceiling.
    3. With your other hand, gently bend your wrist farther until you feel a mild to moderate stretch in your forearm.
    4. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
    5. Repeat 2 to 4 times.
    6. Repeat steps 1 through 5, but this time extend your affected arm in front of you with your palm facing up. Then bend back your wrist, pointing your hand toward the floor.

    Wrist curls

    1. Place your forearm on a table with your hand hanging over the edge of the table, palm up.
    2. Place a 1- to 2-pound weight in your hand. This may be a dumbbell, a can of food, or a filled water bottle.
    3. Slowly raise and lower the weight while keeping your forearm on the table and your palm facing up.
    4. Repeat this motion 8 to 12 times.
    5. Switch arms, and do steps 1 through 4.
    6. Repeat with your hand facing down toward the floor. Switch arms.

    Resisted wrist extension

    1. Sit leaning forward with your legs slightly spread. Then place your affected forearm on your thigh with your hand and wrist in front of your knee.
    2. Grasp one end of an exercise band with your palm down, and step on the other end.
    3. Slowly bend your wrist upward for a count of 2, then lower your wrist slowly to a count of 5.
    4. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

    Resisted wrist flexion

    1. Sit leaning forward with your legs slightly spread. Then place your affected forearm on your thigh with your hand and wrist in front of your knee.
    2. Grasp one end of an exercise band with your palm up, and step on the other end.
    3. Slowly bend your wrist upward for a count of 2, then lower your wrist slowly to a count of 5.
    4. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

    Neck stretch to the side

    1. This stretch works best if you keep your shoulder down as you lean away from it. To help you remember to do this, start by relaxing your shoulders and lightly holding on to your thighs or your chair.
    2. Tilt your head away from your affected elbow and toward your opposite shoulder. For example, if your right elbow is sore, keep your right shoulder down as you lean your head toward your left shoulder.
    3. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Let the weight of your head stretch your muscles.
    4. If you would like a little added stretch, use your hand to gently and steadily pull your head toward your shoulder. For example, if your right elbow is sore, use your left hand to gently pull your head toward your left shoulder.
    5. Repeat 2 to 4 times.

    Resisted forearm pronation

    1. Sit leaning forward with your legs slightly spread. Then place your affected forearm on your thigh with your hand and wrist in front of your knee.
    2. Grasp one end of an exercise band with your palm up, and step on the other end.
    3. Keeping your wrist straight, roll your palm inward toward your thigh for a count of 2, then slowly move your wrist back to the starting position to a count of 5.
    4. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

    Resisted supination

    1. Sit leaning forward with your legs slightly spread. Then place your affected forearm on your thigh with your hand and wrist in front of your knee.
    2. Grasp one end of an exercise band with your palm down, and step on the other end.
    3. Keeping your wrist straight, roll your palm outward and away from your thigh for a count of 2, then slowly move your wrist back to the starting position to a count of 5.
    4. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,981 Member

    When I had PT for my knee he prescribed a whole bunch of PT exercises, none of which were squats or lunges.

    Same, actually, a LOT of it for me was balance work/exercises - and to this day (over 10 years later) as long as I do balance work regularly, my knees remain problem free (torn meniscus in both knees, but neither bad enough for surgery).
  • B_Plus_Effort
    B_Plus_Effort Posts: 311 Member
    edited December 2020
    so gals and guys I need to share this cause I just had a major breakthrough when it comes to my right inner elbow pain

    a slight twist inward of the arm and no pain when I do supported (sitting down with elbow resting against the insight of my thigh) dumbbell curls, it's just like 5° if that, it's amazing!

    anyway that got me all excited so I wanted to share and hopefully help somebody else out

    and as far as all the therapy exercises none of them work for me except for total rest of that body part, which I find difficult to accept