Joint pain disrupts daily living by limiting your ability to move. Yet movement is one of the best ways to preserve joint health. It’s a puzzling conundrum that’s rarely solved with a single solution.
Family nurse practitioner Savitri Gopaul and our team at Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness know that persistent joint discomfort affects your independence and quality of life. That’s why we bring holistic medicine to the table.
An approach that incorporates movement, nutrition, lifestyle change, and other complementary therapies into traditional pain management, holistic care takes your overall health into account. We don’t focus solely on pain.
In this blog, we take a look at some holistic techniques that work when it comes to easing joint pain. Consider these, and add one or more to your joint care routine. You may find that your existing joint pain methods seem to work better in conjunction with holistic approaches.
When joints hurt, the natural tendency is to rest. Immediately after an injury, this is often wise. But when facing chronic or persistent joint pain, rest may be one of the worst things you can do.
When pain limits your desire to move, the best approach is to move gently. Low-impact activities like comfortably paced walking, aquatic aerobics, swimming, tai chi, and yoga are all easy on your body, even when you have active pain.
These are also easy to adapt to your current pain levels. Any level of movement supports blood circulation, an important part of the natural healing process.
Give your meal routine an active role in pain management by boosting the nutrient value of the foods you eat. Some of the best (and tastiest!) joint-friendly additions you can make include:
While no single food is a magic bullet against joint pain, a balanced diet provides the natural building blocks of pain management. Eating well can also assist weight loss and management. Even modest weight loss can make dramatic changes to the force exerted on weight-bearing joints.
Instead of turning to medication when symptoms flare, substitute holistic methods, some of which you likely know already. For example:
Making small changes to your daily routine can support your primary joint pain management efforts.
While none of these are major changes, they can work with your other pain management strategies, adding up to reduced levels of joint pain.
Small steps today can help you move with greater confidence and freedom tomorrow. Call us at our Richmond, Virginia, office of Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness at 804-977-3721, or click here to schedule a joint pain management consultation today.
