Spoiler: Sitting still and hoping it goes away isn’t the answer.
Reviewed by Dietitian Jane Leverich, M.S., RDN
Key Points
- Light exercise and strength training can ease joint pain and improve function over time.
- Long-term NSAID use may mask pain but risks serious side effects and worsens joint issues.
- Early treatment for joint pain prevents lasting damage and improves outcomes significantly.
Aching, swollen joints can turn everyday activities into overwhelming hurdles. With about one in five adults living with arthritis, and the chronic or occasional joint pain that can come with it, the advice out there ranges from helpful to downright harmful. To help you sort fact from fiction, rheumatologists let us in on the four things you may want to stop doing for achy joints, and what to do instead.
1. Avoid Activity
When your knees are swollen or your ankles are aching, relaxing in an easy chair sounds like the best solution, but experts warn that avoiding all activity can actually make things worse. “It feels right to avoid activity when you have pain,” says Siddharth Tambar, MD. “But even light exercise and stretching are good for blood flow and your joint health.”
“The muscles around a joint are its shock absorbers, and they weaken quickly with disuse, so the joint itself absorbs more of every step,” explains Gregg J. Silverman, M.D. It’s easy to fall into a cycle where reduced movement leads to weaker muscles, stiffer joints, more pain and even less movement. But not every type of exercise may be appropriate. While research suggests 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day may help prevent and treat osteoarthritis, you may need to experiment with different types of exercise and increase the time or intensity as your tolerance builds.
2. Rely on NSAIDs
Popping a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like naproxen or ibuprofen at the first sign of stiffness or pain may provide immediate relief, but relying on them long term can come with risks. “If utilized long term, it increases the risk of stomach, liver, bleeding, and cardiac side effects,” says Dr. Tambar.
Research suggests that long-term NSAID use may be associated with ongoing pain, stiffness and disability in people with arthritis. Dr. Tambar emphasizes that long-term use avoids “addressing the longer-term issues driving your pain, which is typically either chronic inflammation, instability, or neuropathic issues.”
3. Ignore Pain & Swelling
When aching joints first start to interrupt your busy schedule, it can be easy to put off making an appointment. But when it comes to joint pain, waiting it out can lead to worse pain and even lasting joint damage. Seeking evaluation and treatment at the first signs of joint pain, stiffness, or swelling can help you identify the type of arthritis you’re dealing with and take the best course of action to relieve the pain and prevent further damage.
For example, rheumatoid arthritis can quickly lead to lasting damage that can’t be reversed. “The same treatment started within the first few months does better than that treatment started a year later — and a year is roughly how long people wait when they assume stiff, swollen hands are just age,” says Dr. Silverman.
4. Rely on Supplements Instead of Proven Treatments
Glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen and turmeric are often touted as miracle cures for joint pain, but the research behind these supplements varies considerably. In the case of glucosamine, the American College of Rheumatology’s guidelines clearly recommend against it. According to Dr. Silverman, “‘Supports joint health’ is a marketing phrase, not a finding.”
Turmeric and collagen aren’t necessarily harmful, especially when used as part of a varied diet, but taking a supplement shouldn’t replace treatments with stronger evidence. Depending on the cause of your joint pain, those may include exercise, strengthening, prescribed medications or other therapies recommended by your health care provider.
Other Strategies to Support Joint Health
Rheumatologists are clear on what not to do for joint pain, but that’s not necessarily helpful when you’re in pain and looking for relief. To support your joints and manage symptoms, here’s what they recommend:
- Avoid smoking. If you smoke, taking steps to stop should be the highest priority for protecting your joints. “Smoking is among the strongest environmental risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis, and it makes the medications we use for it work less well,” says Dr. Silverman.
- Eat a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients and plants could significantly improve joint pain and function. “A whole-food, fiber-rich, Mediterranean-style diet — fish, olive oil, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and not much ultra-processed food — is the version of “anti-inflammatory eating” that has real support behind it, and it also addresses the cardiovascular and metabolic risk that travels with arthritis,” says Dr. Silverman.
- Prioritize strength training. Routine strength training and regular movement are the best tools to keep your joints healthy. “Progressive strength training is the only intervention that both reduces osteoarthritis pain and improves function over the long run, which is why it is first-line in every major guideline,” says Dr. Silverman.
- If your plan isn’t working, seek help. “If you are not reaching your goals, then either alter your treatment regimen or escalate to a stronger option,” says Dr. Tambar, who recommends seeing your physician at the first sign of pain and swelling, and following up to change your treatment plan as needed.
Our Expert Take
While there’s no single solution for sore joints, rheumatologists warn that some of our most common instincts — resting more, reaching for ibuprofen, waiting it out or hoping a supplement will do the work — tend to make joint pain worse in the long run. Joints stay healthiest when kept in motion, when the muscles around them stay strong and when inflammation is treated rather than masked. So keep moving in whatever way your joints allow, add strength training as you’re able, lean on a fiber-rich Mediterranean style of eating and see your doctor at the first sign of joint pain, stiffness, or swelling.