Joint injuries are among the most common causes of pain, especially in older individuals. Unfortunately, these conditions can make life difficult in general since they often limit mobility, hinder your ability to do many jobs, and even prevent you from engaging in your favorite activities. Fortunately, joint problems and the pain they cause can usually be remedied through various lifestyle changes or medical approaches. Here are some of the ways you can live pain-free and help heal your joints.
Nutrition for Joints
Good nutrition is essential for all processes in the body, particularly the healing and maintenance of tissues. Joints are made up of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, which are largely composed of collagen. Unfortunately, the body is unable to produce collagen without adequate quantities of vitamin C.
Supplementation important if you struggle with joint problems, since substantial quantities of the nutrient are virtually impossible to achieve through diet alone. Three other nutrients, vitamin E, copper, and manganese, are also critical in the repair and maintenance of joint tissues. These can be easily obtained in sufficient amounts from nuts and seeds, coconut, olive oil, liver, and other organ meats, guava, pineapple, papaya, mango and avocado.
Therapeutic Exercises
Therapeutic exercises, such as yoga and water aerobics, can be of great help to people with joint issues. These activities are low-impact, so they don’t aggravate pre-existing injuries or promote further inflammation or tissue damage.
They also help to strengthen the supportive muscles that surround the joints, offering greater stability during everyday activities and reducing the risk of future re-injury. The gentle movements of these exercises help to increase blood flow to the affected areas, which is essential for proper healing.
A good yoga instructor can help you find a routine that you can do slowly and meditatively that can help mentally as well as physically prepare you for healing.
Weight Loss
Carrying around extra weight can not only cause joint pain, but also keep it from improving. This is especially true of knee pain, which is very common in overweight individuals. Engaging in low-impact physical activities like those mentioned above and maintaining an appropriate caloric intake can help you combat this issue and relieve the strain on your joints. Just make sure you have a healthy plan for losing weight and keeping it off. Talk to a doctor or nutritionist if you’re not sure.
Medical Treatments
Many people also find relief from certain medical treatments, like Utah PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy. According to Nexus Pain Specialists, this cutting-edge procedure uses the patient’s own blood factors to stimulate the healing process of various tissues, and some people have reported wonderful results.
Physical therapy is another popular solution, and many individuals may also find that they benefit from the use of anti-inflammatory medications.
Joint pain can be a debilitating condition that interferes with your ability to enjoy life to its fullest. However, by trying some of these tips, you can help thwart it and prevent it from happening again.