Pain is an inevitable part of life which comes in many forms and from various different sources. Debilitating and even excruciating as it may be at times, pain actually serves the useful purpose of letting us know that something is wrong and that we need to take care of it first before moving ahead. Today, we are going to focus on keeping the woes of joint and muscle pain away from our lives by making simple changes and modifications to the lifestyles we lead.

Don’t Ignore Pain

The very first step towards leading a pain-free life is to acknowledge the pain and understand what is causing it. Everyone who leads an active life gets injured at some point or another during training, and it is important to acknowledge that pain is a sign to stop, treat and heal before continuing again. Those that choose to ignore pain caused by an injury usually end up worsening it to a point where it takes much longer to heal than it would have taken originally. In extreme cases, the consequences of ignoring pain could also be severe enough to make it a lifetime problem. Sprained ligaments and tendons, hairline cracks, displaced spinal discs, etc. are all known to cause pain in various degrees, but all of these will worsen unless you take some time off from your training to identify, treat/fix and heal from them first.

Lift Weights

It’s true that athletes get injured in the gym and on the field all the time, but if you are not a professional athlete, you need not to worry about getting injured during your lifting sessions, that is of course, as long as you take all the necessary precautions and train under the supervision of a qualified physical trainer. On the contrary, lifting weights on a regular basis and in a systematic manner can have the following benefits which contribute greatly towards leading a pain-free and healthy life, even for patients suffering from arthritis:

• It strengthens the muscles around the afflicted bones and joints
• Increases lubrication and makes movement easier as a result
• Reinforces bones, making them thicker and stronger
• Reduces bone loss due to osteoporosis and brings down inflammations
• Can help you to lose weight, which reduces pressure on joints

The rule of thumb is, don’t try to lift too much weight without proper conditioning and don’t spend more than an hour in the gym to minimize the pain and maximize the gains.

Stretch Every Day

Stretching is beneficial all on its own as it improves blood circulation and keeps us flexible, but it is particularly useful when trying to deal with pain or for preventing it from occurring in the first place. The idea is to move all joints in the body to its full range of motion in both ways a few times every day. This applies for both the upper and the lower body, but it is particularly essential for the lower body. Consulting a physiotherapist might be a good idea to learn more about pain management and prevention through regular stretching. A point to be noted is that this also applies to your weight training sessions since almost every movement in resistance training can be completed in a full range of motion. It helps the muscles to grow and stay flexible at the same time.

Try Alternative Pain Management Approaches

Studies show that CBD (cannabidiol) oil can reduce symptoms of joint pain significantly by reducing inflammations when taken on a regular basis, and it can also act as a natural and instant painkiller during emergencies. You can read more about how to use CBD oil effectively to manage joint and muscle pain in different circumstances on the official Highland Pharms website. Aside from the fact that CBD oil is completely natural and doesn’t have any side effects whatsoever, people do not generally grow a resistance to its effects either, which is a common problem with almost all clinical painkillers. As a result of that, a gradual increase of the operative dosage is not required in order for CBD oil to remain effective in pain management.

Avoid Holding Postures

Make it a point to remember not to hold any posture for a long period of time. This includes sitting down, lying down, holding neck positions, hand positions, leg positions, etc. for more than 30-minutes, but if you can keep making small movements every 10 -15 minutes, it is probably going to be even more effective in preventing pain and stiffness. If your work involves sitting down for long periods of time, take a short walk every 15 – 20 minutes or at least stand-up and stretch your arms, legs, and neck a bit. It keeps stiff necks, frozen shoulders, cramps and other similar strains and sprains at bay.

Drink Plenty of Water

There are multiple health benefits of drinking a gallon of water on a daily basis and pain management is just one of them. If you are wondering how drinking water can help to reduce joint and muscle pain, consider the following points:

• The hydration helps keep joints and muscles well lubricated, which in turn allows for painless movements
• Stimulates synovial fluid production, which brings down swellings and encourages tissue regeneration in cartilage
• Reduces the chances of developing gout in people with high uric acid by almost 50%
• Improves blood circulation, which helps muscles and joints recover faster from injuries

It would be wrong to assume that the methods we just discussed are guaranteed to keep all forms of joint and muscle pain away from your life forever, but there is no doubt that they will lessen the chances tremendously. Even in extreme cases where you are already suffering from severe pain, these changes and improvements in lifestyle can definitely improve some situations remarkably. Having said that, in case you have an exceptional or severe condition, it is mandatory to consult your supervising physician first, before trying out any of what we just discussed.