As an award-winning pain management physician, Dr. John S. Michels in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas provides highly effective minimally invasive treatments for painful disorders that interfere with mobility and your daily routine.
As a previous Super Bowl champion, Dr. Michels has personal experience with pain that keeps him motivated when developing a customized strategy to help reduce or prevent pain-triggering damage to your joints.
Read these five joint-friendly habits that Dr. Michels recommends you try to reduce joint pain and improve mobility.
Excess weight puts a significant strain on your joints, causing early arthritis, inflammation, and other pain-triggering conditions. Knees, hips, the spine, and other weight-bearing joints are especially vulnerable.
Maintain a healthy weight by following a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains while avoiding processed foods, sugary snacks, and unhealthy fats. Regular exercise can also help with weight management.
Reach for foods with anti-inflammatory properties to reduce joint pain and inflammation, such as berries, cherries, and leafy greens. Healthy fats in walnuts, flaxseeds, and olive oil promote joint health.
These healthy habits also positively affect your overall health, reducing your risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions that can affect mobility.
Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining joint flexibility and strength. And engaging in low-impact workouts can reduce rather than exacerbate joint pain.
While gentle on your joints, walking, swimming, cycling, tai chi, and yoga promote the flexibility, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness healthy joints require.
Dr. Michels promotes exercise guidelines tailored to fit your current joint health. For instance, if you’ve already developed joint damage, you may benefit from a program that utilizes only low-impact activities.
Others may do well with a regimen that includes high-impact routines and low-impact exercises that rest the joints.
Warm up before beginning your routine, and help prevent joint stiffness and reduce inflammation by cooling down after you exercise.
Protecting your joints during daily activities reduces joint pain and prevents further damage.
Avoid repetitive movements or positions that strain joints, and take regular breaks to rest and stretch. Learn and practice appropriate lifting techniques.
Additionally, Dr. Michels may recommend bracing, pads, or compression sleeves for added joint stability and pain relief during physical activities.
Proper posture is a[so essential for joint health, since it helps distribute your body weight evenly and minimizes unnecessary stress on your joints. Check your posture when sitting, standing, walking, or running.
Protect your elbows, hands, wrists, and spine by ensuring the alignment of your desk, computer, and keyboard are ergonomically correct.
Quality sleep can enhance your body's natural healing processes and reduce joint pain.
Establish a consistent sleep routine of 7-9 hours for adults. Avoid caffeine, strenuous exercise, and heavy meals for 3-4 hours before bedtime. Ensure your bed, pillow, and sleeping position support healthy spinal and joint alignment.
Joint problems such as osteoarthritis and other degenerative changes tend to develop slowly, and your body often sends warning signs before irreversible damage occurs.
Consider scheduling an evaluation sooner rather than later when achy joints, early morning stiffness, and other symptoms start spoiling your routine. Dr. Michels can assess your current joint health and design a plan that helps prevent worsening damage and pain.
You don’t have to live with pain. Make an appointment with Dr. Michels today by calling our office or requesting an appointment online.
