Caring for inflamed & stiff joints

Feeling stiff after a long run? Or is it a condition you feel most days? Whatever the reason, stiff joints can make doing everyday tasks a real pain in the backside.

However, with the right type of nutrition and a few top tips, you might be able to loosen up your joints a little more. Here are our four recommendations to get you started.

Hot or cold compress

Epsom salts

Take supplements

Limber up

The best exercises to protect your joints

Exercises to avoid

If you are experiencing joint pain, steer clear of anything high-impact in which both feet hit the ground with force – like running, aerobics, vigorous dancing, tennis and squash¹³ – as this can stress the joints.

It can be tempting to avoid exercise when you’re experiencing joint pain for fear of making any swelling or stiffness worse.

However, reducing your activity and movement is not the answer, and in fact, not being active enough can actually bring on more pain.

There are various reasons why you might have pain in your joints. Common issues such as osteoarthritis- which is caused by the wearing down of cartilage- are often to blame.

However, the cartilage itself can’t feel pain as it has no nerve tissues. Therefore, the pain you feel is generally a result of the inflammation of the connective tissues, ligaments or tendons surrounding the joint.

You may be nervous to increase your levels of exercise if you’re experiencing joint inflammation. However, the most important thing to remember is that your body needs to stay active, and exercise offers a range of benefits that could help ease your symptoms.