By Physiotherapist Lauren Jackson

As a physiotherapist, I see patients suffering with joint pain day in, day out. A huge  focus of my treatment approach is education. Providing my patients with the  knowledge to manage their joint health is paramount to a successful, therapeutic  outcome. It’s the small, consistent steps taken daily that add up to results. There is  no quick fix and us healthcare professionals certainly don’t have a magic wand (I wish we did)!  

In order to elicit successful results from rehabilitation, patients must take  accountability for their own health. Physiotherapists can assess, diagnose and  provide a treatment plan to manage joint pain, but if the advice and plan is not  implemented by the patient, prognosis is poor.  

Here are my top 5 daily habits to add to your routine to improve your joint health! 

1. Movement first thing  

Before struggling to get out of bed in the morning, release the synovial fluid in your  painful joint by adding gentle movement. Whether that’s pelvic tilts for lower back  pain, seated leg extensions for knee pain or scapula squeezes for shoulder pain,  these movements will release fluid into the joint to decrease pain and stiffness. This should make morning movement much easier and less taxing! Speak to your  physiotherapist about which exercise would be most effective to carry out first  thing.  

2. Low-impact exercise  

Exercise is a tool most physiotherapists will prescribe to their patients as it is  scientifically proven to decrease joint pain & stiffness. I want to highlight the  importance of low-impact exercise - this is exercise that does not increase the  pressure going through the joints. It often requires slow & controlled movement  patterns which increase muscle strength & control, proprioception, flexibility and  body awareness. Increased amounts of walking, running or jumping could worsen  joint pain symptoms due to the increased pressure placed on joints which could  lead to higher levels of inflammation. Some examples of low-impact exercise  include Pilates, yoga and swimming, and have a read of my 11 favourite exercises for joint pain. 

3. Consistent supplementation  

To complement external approaches to treatment such as exercise, it is vital that  people suffering with joint pain treat their symptoms internally. Luckily, there are  supplements available that pack many incredible ingredients into one tablet,  meaning that achieving consistent supplementation has never been easier. Taking  your supplements consistently is essential for achieving your desired results.  Please see this amazing article for more information on consistent  supplementation written by nutritionist, Rachel Davies. Take Flexee for example: it contains the evidence-backed ingredient, eggshell membrane, which contains over 400 proteins, collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. This is a winning combination for treating joint pain by addressing the root cause of joint pain.  

4. Muscle strength  

Weakness around a joint can be a contributing factor to degenerative changes  which lead to joint pain. However, it is never too late to strengthen these muscles  to offload a joint and minimise further discomfort. Muscles surrounding joints act  as levers to increase joint space and control body alignment. This reduces  pressure on problem areas which in turn, reduces inflammation and pain. Your  physiotherapist will be able to prescribe the right strengthening exercises for you  and your joint pain. The exercises will require progressive overload over time  (difficulty will gradually increase) to ensure that sufficient tension is placed on the  muscles to strengthen them.  

5. Sleep hygiene  

A restful night’s sleep is paramount to healing and recovery. The building blocks of  our soft tissues regenerate during sleep which make it vital to successful  rehabilitation. Sometimes, joint pain can interrupt sleep which leads to a nasty  cycle of pain & insomnia but there are several steps you can add to your night time  routine to prevent this cycle from occurring. 1) Avoid blue-light at least one hour  before bed. 2) Support your painful joint with a pillow; one under the elbow for  shoulder pain, one between the knees for back pain and one under the knees for  knee pain. Your physiotherapist can show you the most comfortable positions for  sleeping for certain joint pain. 3) Try waking at the end of a sleep cycle - use this sleep calculator to find out how. You can use certain devices which wake you gently to avoid an abrupt interruption to sleep in the middle of a sleep cycle. This can help build a routine of restful sleep over time.  

Remember, creating a habit takes time, but resilience, dedication and consistency  really do pay off! It is vital that you remain patient, trust the process and take the  advice given to you by your health care professional. Reducing joint pain is a  marathon, not a sprint, but these tips will bring you five steps closer to your goal of living a pain-free life.