Dr. Zarin weighs explains common lifestyle culprits that cause inflammation of the joints.
Article Link: What To Avoid if You Have Joint Pain, Orthopedic Experts Explain – Parade
Joint pain is likely rather low on your wish list. It can impact your mobility, sleep and quality of life in general. The truth is that your body talks to you, and it may be using your joints as a megaphone.
“Joint pain, like any other pain in the body, is a signal that something may not be working properly in our musculoskeletal system,” says Dr. Jeffrey Zarin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement surgery at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.
What’s a Joint, Anyway?
Before getting into the dos and don’ts of joint pain, it might help to know what one is.
“A joint is generally defined as an intersection between bones in our body and includes all our body parts that allow the joint to move appropriately,” Dr. Zarin says. “This includes the muscles, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, joint fluid, and other tissues around the joints to keep them healthy and moving properly.” When there’s pain, it means one of these components may be injured or not functioning properly.
Dr. Zarin says that common culprits include certain types of activities that increase inflammation or weakened joint stability, obesity, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle.
What’s the Worst Thing You Can Do When You Have Joint Pain?
You should never push through the pain by continuing whatever is causing or exacerbating the issue. “If you have joint pain, you should avoid things that aggravate it or make it worse,” Dr. Zarin says.
For instance, Dr. Zarin says it wouldn’t be wise to continue long-distance running if you’ve injured your knee and there’s damage to the cartilage because you could continue to aggravate or speed up damage (rather than your running pace).
“Repetitive impact to an injured joint can lead to long-term consequences including permanent damage to the cartilage—arthritis—or intractable pain and inflammation,” Dr. Zarin explains.
