Exercise, Physical Therapies and Devices

13. Physical Activity. Although joint pain may make activity difficult at first, you’ll likely find that once you try it, regular physical activity will actually ease your pain and help your body produce its own natural pain killers — endorphins. Physical activity also can increase your strength, stamina, flexibility and range of motion — all of which will help with everyday life. And if you are overweight, staying active can be an important part of a weight-loss plan. To avoid causing further pain, choose exercises that are gentle on joints such as walking, stationary cycling, swimming, water aerobics low-impact aerobics or yoga. A physical therapist (PT) or occupational therapist (OT) also can help you find and do physical activity that’s effective and safe for your specific condition and needs. They can help you adapt the way you move and move your joints — or the environment you live in — so you can safely complete daily tasks like getting in and out of bed, climbing stairs and more. To see safe and effective exercises approved by physical therapists, visit the Arthritis Foundation’s Your Exercise Solution.

14. Good Posture. Poor posture can put excessive stress on the joints of the spine, leading to neck and back pain, as well as pain in the extremities. Proper posture, if practiced consistently, can relieve those stresses and associated pain. Posture isn’t just a matter of standing up straight. A PT or OT can teach you how to use good posture while standing, sitting or moving and even comfortable positioning for relieving joint pain at night. A therapist can also help you with specific exercises designed to strengthen specific muscles that help you maintain good posture.

15. Rest. While it’s important to use joints to prevent stiffness, overusing your joints can cause or worsen pain, too. When using a particular joint be sure to take periodic rest breaks. Find the right balance between activity, rest and down time — that fits your needs — is key to optimizing your joint health and well-being.

16. Orthotics. Devices such as braces, splints and shoe inserts may be effective in relieving joint pain by shifting weight away from the damaged area of the joint, easing stress on a joint or relieving swelling by compression. A physical or occupational therapist can ensure you have the right orthotic and use it properly.

17. Assistive Devices. Devices are available to help you perform almost any task that causes or exacerbates joint pain, from buttoning blouses to sliding on shoes, to opening jars to reaching items on high shelves. An occupational therapist can help identify devices that would help you and teach you how to use them.

18. Hot and Cold Therapy. Apply heat to aching joints for temporary pain relief. Try a heating pad, hot water bottle, warm compresses, or soak in a hot tub or shower. For acutely inflamed and painful joints, try commercial ice packs or a bag of frozen peas or cut vegetables that mold to the shape of your joint and can be used and refrozen multiple times. Soaking smaller joints, like hands, feet and elbows, in paraffin wax can also help soothe those painful joints.

19. Acupuncture. This ancient practice, which involves inserting fine needles at specific points on the body, has been shown to reduce pain in people with some forms of arthritis who have moderate to severe pain despite taking anti-inflammatory or pain medications. However, it may take several weeks before you notice improvement.

20. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA is a procedure in which a doctor inserts a needle guided by X-ray into the painful area of an arthritic joint and then passes a current through the needles to ablate, or burn, the nerve ending to relieve pain. RFA is reserved for people for whom less invasive treatments have failed to relieve pain.