#040 - Rid yourself of joint pain

If you are over 50 and dealing with joint pain, you have probably been told some version of this, “That is just part of getting older.”
The usual solution offered is a prescription, an over the counter painkiller, or advice to take it easy.

The problem is that painkillers do not fix joint pain, they mask it. And taking it easy often makes the problem worse over time.

The good news is this, for most people, joint pain after 50 is manageable and often reversible when you address the right factors. This article will give you practical tools to reduce pain, improve movement, and protect your joints long term, without relying on medication as your primary strategy.

First, Let Us Reframe Joint Pain

Joint pain is rarely just about wear and tear. In most cases, it is driven by a combination of poor joint movement and stiffness, weak or inactive supporting muscles, chronic low grade inflammation, loss of joint lubrication, and repetitive habits that overload the joint in one direction.

Pain is a signal, not a diagnosis. Your goal is not to silence the signal, but to correct what is causing it.

Tool 1, Restore Joint Movement Before Strength

Many people try to strengthen painful joints without first restoring movement, and that often backfires.

As we age, joints lose their full range of motion. When a joint does not move well, stress shifts to surrounding tissues, increasing pain.

What to do
Start with gentle, controlled movement rather than forceful stretching. Move joints through comfortable ranges daily, especially the hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, and upper spine.

Even five to ten minutes a day of joint focused movement can reduce stiffness and pain by improving circulation and joint nutrition.

Key rule, if movement reduces stiffness within a few minutes, you are on the right track.

Tool 2, Strengthen the Muscles That Protect the Joint

Joints are passive structures. Muscles are what stabilise and protect them.

After 50, muscle loss accelerates unless you actively counter it. When muscles weaken, joints absorb forces they were never designed to handle.

What to focus on
Strengthening around the joint rather than only the painful area, using slow and controlled resistance, and working within pain free or low pain ranges of motion.

Examples
Knee pain often improves when you strengthen the hips, quadriceps, and hamstrings, as the hamstrings play a crucial role in knee stability and joint control.
Shoulder pain often improves when you strengthen the upper back muscles.
Back pain often improves with better core and glute strength.

Important, strength training should challenge muscles, not aggravate joints. Pain during exercise is a signal to adjust, not to quit.

Tool 3, Reduce Inflammation at the Source

Chronic inflammation is a major driver of joint pain, especially after 50.

Painkillers suppress inflammation temporarily, but daily habits determine whether inflammation stays high or comes down.

High impact changes include prioritising protein and vegetables at every meal, reducing ultra processed foods and excess sugar, staying hydrated since dehydration stiffens joints, and walking daily to promote circulation.

You do not need a perfect diet. You need consistent anti inflammatory habits that lower the overall load on your system.

Tool 4, Improve Joint Lubrication Through Movement

Joints do not have their own blood supply. They rely on movement to circulate synovial fluid, the lubricant that keeps joints moving smoothly.

When you stop moving because of pain, lubrication decreases, stiffness increases, and pain worsens.

The solution is to move joints frequently but gently, avoid long periods of sitting without movement, and think in terms of short movement breaks throughout the day.

Even standing up, moving your joints for thirty to sixty seconds, and sitting back down can make a noticeable difference over time.

Tool 5, Respect Recovery, Especially After 50

Recovery is not optional as you age, it is foundational.

Poor sleep, high stress, and constantly overdoing it prevent joints from healing and adapting.

Priorities include seven to eight hours of quality sleep whenever possible, scheduled rest days between harder workouts, and breathing, walking, or light movement on recovery days.

Pain often improves when recovery improves, even without changing exercise.

What About Painkillers?

Painkillers can be useful short term tools. They should not be the foundation of joint care.

Long term reliance on medication can mask worsening joint problems, delay corrective movement and strength work, and carry risks for digestion, kidneys, and cardiovascular health.

The goal is not to tough it out, but to build a system where pain becomes less necessary to manage.

A Simple Daily Joint Health Checklist

Move your joints intentionally every day.
Strength train two to three times per week.
Walk daily.
Eat in a way that reduces inflammation.
Sleep and recover consistently.

None of these are extreme. Together, they are powerful.

Final Thought

Joint pain after 50 is common, but it is not something you have to accept as inevitable.

When you shift from pain suppression to joint support through movement, strength, recovery, and inflammation control, you give your body the tools it needs to heal and adapt.

Your joints were designed to move. Give them the support they need, and many will surprise you with how well they respond.

Thank you

James Culmer-Shields