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Regardless of the reason – due to overload caused by intense exercise or physical work or due to degenerative disease – joint pain limits movement and causes pain that hinders everyday functioning. Not only the right sports, but also diet and balneotherapy – healing baths –may assist in the alleviation of pain
It’s not only seniors, so why are we hurting our joints?
Joint pain, often thought to be a problem only suffered by older people, can have various causes and appear in very young people Often the cause is being overweight or obesity (ailments then appear because the joints must maintain too much weight of the body), overloading the joints with exercises (this is why runners usually complain of knee pain), and also slouching and too long spent in the same position (for example, when working on a computer).
In seniors, joint pain is often associated with osteoarthritis due to premature wear and tear of the joint tissues. The first symptoms usually appear between 40 and 60 years old and most often affect the spine, mainly its lumbar section. Up to 8 million patients in Poland suffer from osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease. It is estimated that it is one of ten diseases that causes the most severe disabilities in the world.
However, joint pains do not always occur in the elderly – the second most common occurrence is RA, or rheumatoid arthritis, which may show symptoms even around the age of 30. More women than men suffer from RA – about 200,000 people are treated in Poland. For comparison: it is the number of patients corresponding to the population of one of the largest Polish cities – Toruń…
When ordinary activities make it difficult
Symptoms that we should take notice of include pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints. Often the skin covering a sick joint is warmer and red. A person struggling with joint pain often needs time, for example in the morning, to get going and perform ordinary activities, such as doing up buttons on a shirt or unscrewing a tap. At the beginning, the symptoms are short-lived, but over time they become more severe and hinder daily functioning.
Exercise and eat for joint health
The prevention of joint pain is based on a few key pillars, the most important of which are proper physical activity and a healthy diet. Sports are particularly recommended, those are based on smooth movements – swimming, cycling, Nordic walking, pilates and yoga – which should always be preceded by a warm-up. Even a small amount of physical activity makes the cartilage of our joints increase in volume, the joints become more efficient, better supplied with blood and oxygenated. Exercises also help maintain proper body weight, which in turn translates into less strain on the joints and thus minimizes the risk of damage and pain.
As for the diet, it is important to eat protein – one of the main components building the articular cartilage – as well as omega-3 acids and vitamins D and C. Collagen is also important, which affects the flexibility and strength of the joints.
Unusual baths and wraps
The treatment of joint pain depends on the cause of the complaint and is always selected by the physician after appropriate diagnosis. In addition to pharmaceutical drugs, many patients are relieved by appropriate physical exercises, such as cycling and swimming, as well as balneotherapy – i.e. bath therapy. Especially if the water has health properties.
The proper functioning of the joints is mainly influenced by saline-sulphide pools – i.e. highly mineralized waters with cations and anions such as sulphur, bromine and iodine. Balneotherapy has been used for centuries, and their impact on human health is beyond any doubt.
Brine-sulphide-iodine-boric sulphate brine positively affects the functioning of articular cartilages and joints, and at the same time is recommended for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Such waters have anti-inflammatory properties, help to rebuild collagen joints of articular cartilages and regenerate them.
In order to ensure the full healing effects of such baths, after leaving the water, avoid showering for two hours in order not to rinse the sulphur compounds from the body. Such compounds are absorbed over time.
Another natural method for joint pain is a mud bath, which is recommended, among others, in the case of osteoarthritis. In fact, peat mud baths help in the treatment of inflammation, and are also recommended for rheumatic diseases and for stiffening spondylitis. In such a bath, a peat mullet is mixed with water, and the skin is coated with this dense, warm mix. You can also submerge in it or enjoy either a half-bath (from the waist down) or a hip bath. The heat from this procedure stimulates blood circulation and accelerates the absorption of active ingredients from the peat. Mud intercepts and stops waste products being excreted by the body after metabolism.
Mud baths or wraps relax tension, reduce pain and increase muscle flexibility and joint mobility. In degenerative joint changes, however, they accelerate the reconstruction of damaged joint elements.
The condition of the joints translates not only to our well-being, but above all to our efficiency, and compliance with these several principles described earlier will help us to enjoy good health for longer. So let’s focus on prophylactic treatment and remember that it’s worth taking care of your joints at all ages!
