Some Facts and Myths About Joint Pain

Most people believe just because you experience joint pain that you have arthritis, myth or fact?  A rheumatoid arthritis sufferer, living in a cold climate, decides to move to warmer weather to improve their medical condition, does it work?  These are just a few examples of what people think or believe when it comes to joint pain.  Let’s take a look at some these and a few others to get them straight.

When it comes to joint pain and arthritis, it does not mean you have arthritis just because you have joint pain. It’s a myth.  There are more than one hundred different types of arthritis making it understandable why people would assume having joint pain means you have arthritis.  Your joint pain may be due to a tissue injury, bursitis, a pulled tendon or muscle.  It is best to seek medical advice about your joint pain to get a proper diagnosis.

When it comes to moving to a warmer climate to improve your condition, this can be a fact.  The reason is “can” be a fact is because it doesn’t work for all joint pain sufferers.  High humidity and low barometric pressure can cause joint pain sufferers to experience joint pressure, especially before a storm.  A drier area can reduce pressure.  It’s best to test out the move before actually doing it, to see if moving to a warmer climate will improve your joint pain.

A number of individuals believe that exercising will only increase joint pain.  This is a myth.  Exercise helps promote healing of the joint, reduces inflammation, and can improve range of motion while reducing stiffness.  By exercising thirty minutes a day can improve joint pain.  Over exercising can increase joint pain, so it is best to speak with a health care professional to see what low impact exercises will be best for your condition.

Everyone has heard it said that by popping your knuckles you will cause yourself to get arthritis and joint pain.  This is a myth.   When you pop your knuckles, you are actually releasing a small amount of excess nitrogen gas from the joint, which causes the popping sound.  This does not cause arthritis, but can possibly annoy people near you.

Another fact about joint pain is eating a proper diet.  Diet can an essential part of treating joint pain.  A proper diet can help maintain a healthy body weight.  An overweight person is applying more pressure to the lower weight bearing joints which causes stress on them and can create joint pain.  Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help reduce inflammation of the joint and can also help promote a healthy joint.  A healthy joint will not experience joint pain.

These are just a few examples of how fact and myth can be separated when it comes to joint pain.  Another fact about joint pain is, it can be treated, prevented, and cured depending on each individual condition.  Talk with a medical professional to see what is causing your joint pain and the best way to treat it.