How to avoid middle aged joint pain: Osteopath shares must-know tips

If you're suffering from middle age joint pain, there are a few things you can do to ease the aches. Photo / Getty Images

If you suffer from aching knees, hips and shoulders, chances are, you’re not alone. It’s painful and can make even the best day difficult, but one osteopath believes he knows a way to ease joint pain in middle age.

The Daily Mail reports how Michael Fatica, a London-based consultant osteopath, has shared his views on the common joint pain many of us experience and how to treat it.

Warning that walking and running isn’t enough to ward off stiff and painful joints, sufferers should practice resistance training, such as squats, bends and extensions, and avoid common misconceptions.

Speaking to the news outlet, Fatica said some people experiencing joint pain - particularly a bad back or knees - may be under the impression that avoiding exercise will benefit them in the long run, but this isn’t always true.

He said that avoiding exercise can result in weakened muscles, causing the joints to become more vulnerable and painful. “Joints are strong and, although there might well be an injury or degeneration which requires short-term modification, there should always be a pathway to medium to long-term strengthening,” he said.

Squats are a great way to work your hip joints. Photo / 123rf

The osteopath went on to say that you should partake in regular full-range motion-strength or resistance training to rebuild lost strength in the muscle, which will ultimately protect the joint.

“People make the mistake of thinking regular walking or running should keep them healthy,” he said. “But these movements, for example, do not involve full range of motion in the hips, knees and ankles.”

Noting that squats are “the simplest and most easily-accessible exercise”, Fatica said you can start small by doing as minimal as 10 squats for five rounds a day as a starting point, before upping your repetitions.

Elsewhere, the NHS recommends performing the lying knee bend each day. This includes lying on your back and bending your knee by pulling your foot back. Holding the pose in a comfortable position, you hold for two seconds and then straighten the leg.

A lying knee stretch is a good way to ease joint pain. Photo / Getty Images

A variation of the position includes sitting on a chair and putting your foot in a chair opposite then pushing down gently to straighten your knee. It’s recommended that you hold the pose for no more than 10 seconds before you release and repeat.

If you are someone who suffers from hip pain, the Daily Mail has reported the NHS advises you to sit down on a chair and stand up repeatedly to work the joints and muscles.

As for shoulder pain, you can try swinging your arms from side to side, or gently leaning on a table to the point where one arm is freely hanging and you swing it from front to back until you feel satisfied the joint is exercised.

Alternatively, joint pain is a serious issue and if you’re experiencing unbearable or worsening pain, please contact a specialist.