5 Ways to Alleviate Joint Pain at Home & in the Office

Is joint pain causing you difficulties in your day-to-day life? Normal activities and work or at home can be troublesome when you are plagued by aching or stabbing pain in your joints. Fortunately, you can mitigate much of your pain with simple changes at the office or at home.

At Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine in Ramsey, New Jersey, pain management specialists Dr. Kevin McElroy and Dr. Steven Ferrer treat all types of joint pain and can work with you to help you find ways to lower your pain levels at home or in the office.

1. Adapt your home and office spaces

At home, store commonly used things in places you don’t have to bend, stoop, reach, or crouch to access. This can mean rearranging your kitchen, cleaning supplies, and other items. At work, consider an ergonomic office setup, including items like a sit/stand desk, an ergonomic chair or ball to sit on, and keyboards that are designed to minimize strain on your wrists. 

2. Eat foods that support joint health

If you are in a high-risk group for osteoarthritis, you can end up with severe joint pain that worsens with age. This could apply to you if you are a woman over the age of 55 or if you are over 65 and overweight.. You can stave off the effects of aging and promote joint health by adding fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and healthy oils to your diet.

3. Exercise daily, but for short time periods

If you have joint pain, look for modified workout routines that are low impact and can be done from your office chair  When starting out, keep exercise sessions down to 10 minutes at a time, twice a day. Exercise that keeps your joints moving, but not overworked, can help with flexibility. Staying active will also lower inflammation levels, leading to reduced stiffness or pain. 

4. Listen to pain messages

According to the CDC, moderate pain means your body is asking for rest. Listen to this plea. Overdoing it can lead to more pain, keeping you from being active the next day and leading to stiffness and soreness. It’s better to exercise for five minutes and take a break than to overwork a joint that is already complaining. Likewise, if sitting in your office chair is causing pain, get up and walk around. Find ways to break up your day so that you don’t sit longer than an hour at a stretch.

5. Keep a joint pain journal

Everyone's body is different. If you keep a journal each day, you can start to match up increased incidents of joint pain with work schedules, weather patterns, dietary variations, activity levels, and more. This will help your doctors pinpoint triggers for your joint pain, and we can develop a personalized plan to mitigate your discomfort. 

Need help with your joint pain? Contact our office at 201-962-9199, or request a consultation online today.