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How to Strengthen Your Joints

Woman having joint pain

4 Tips to Help You Strengthen Your Joints

Are your joints as strong as they could be? Joint weakness can lead to a variety of problems ranging from injuries to pain to stiffness. Making a few changes in your life, in addition to visiting the chiropractor on a regular basis, will help you keep your joints strong and flexible.

The Consequences of Weak Joints

Falls, arthritis, wear and tear, poor muscle tone, and even posture issues can cause weak joints. Unfortunately, once a joint is weak, you're more likely to develop injuries, including dislocations, fractures, strained muscles, and sprains. Weak joints may also affect your balance and increase your risk of falls. Fortunately, improving your joint health can be as simple as exercising more often, changing your diet, or losing weight.

1. Make Exercise a Priority

Exercise keeps joints limber, improves blood flow, and strengthens the muscles that support your joints. When your muscles are strong, you're less likely to injure yourself or suffer from joint pain. Your exercise routine should include:

  • Aerobic Exercise. Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise that increases your heart rate, including running, walking, dancing, aerobics, skiing, swimming, riding a bike, or playing sports. This type of exercise keeps your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints strong and flexible and lowers your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. If you have arthritis or another joint condition, high-impact activity, like running, tennis, or high-impact aerobics, could worsen your symptoms. Walking, swimming, riding a stationary bicycle, or performing low-impact aerobics are better choices.
  • Strengthening Exercises. Strengthening exercises improve balance, flexibility, coordination, and bone strength and density, in addition to increasing and strengthening muscle mass. Exercises can be performed using weights, resistance bands, or weight machines. Push-ups, lunges, squats, planks, and other types of resistance exercises also strengthen bones and muscles.
  • Stretching. Start and end every exercise session with a 5 to 10-minute stretching session. Stretching increases blood flow to muscles and tissues, improves flexibility, and keeps your muscles loose after you finish your workout.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults participate in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, in addition to at least two weekly sessions of strengthening exercises that work all the major muscle groups.

2. Improve Your Diet

Avoid processed, greasy, fried, fatty, sugary, or high-carbohydrate foods. A diet that includes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, low-fat dairy products, chicken, fish, and lean meats is ideal for joint and muscle health.

3. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Carrying extra pounds stresses your joints, increasing your risk of injuries, osteoarthritis, and joint pain. Being obese or overweight is particularly hard on the joints in your knees. Losing weight can reduce the need for knee replacement surgery in obese patients with knee osteoarthritis by 31 percent, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

4. See Your Chiropractor

Regular visits to the chiropractor help keep your joints flexible and improve your range of motion. Subluxations, misalignments in your spine or other parts of your body, increase your risk of joint injuries and pain. These misalignments can be caused by falls, injuries, poor posture, gait problems, and even spending too much time using your digital devices. Luckily, your chiropractor can correct subluxations with adjustments and other treatments that realign your joints and reduce tension on your muscles, tendons, soft tissues, and ligaments. Treatments also address imbalances that could increase your risk of joint injuries.

Scheduling periodic visits with the chiropractic is a simple way to protect your joints. Give us a call if you're ready to make your next appointment.

Sources:

PubMed: American College of Rheumatology: Obesity and the Relative Risk of Knee Replacement Surgery in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis 4/16

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition

WebMD: Chiropractic Care for Joint Problems: What to Know, 10/1/20

Cleveland Clinic: 5 Best Ways to Safeguard Your Joints as You Age, 7/13/20

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  • "Absolutely love Dr. Skocik and his staff!!! I treated with this practice for several years after a really bad fall, thanks to the wonderful chiropractic care and massage therapy I am pain free and have my mobility back!! Highly recommend Dr. Skocik!!!"
    Teresa S.
  • "Wonderful staff. Makes you feel like it's home. Dr. Skocik is a wonderful gentleman. Just wants to help you so you can be better. Goes up and beyond."
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  • "My experience With Dr. Skocik has been exceptional. The staff provides excellent services and care. I always feel better after my treatment! Looking forward to a full recovery!"
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  • "Great Doctor! Amazing Staff! The first time I went to skocik chiropractor I was in a lot of pain but after just a few months I feel so much better."
    Waslat W.
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  • "The staff is all great and Dr. Skocik is one of the best and nicest chiropractors."
    Matthew G.
  • "Dr. Skocik did a wonderful job helping me get back to normal. He explained things in detail. A very pleasant and courteous atmosphere. I found my go to chiropractor!!"
    Diane L.
  • "Dr Sk is thorough in his exams and explanations of recommended treatment and process. The staff are courteous, friendly and professional. I have seen improvement in my range of motion, mobility and reduction of pain in back and spine."
    Arlis V.
  • "I love this place. I have been going through a rough time, injuries, employment, school, death in the family, and stress. Dr. Skocik and his staff are a blessing. They have been there to help me not only with my injuries but with my life in general. No matter how much pain and misery I may be going through, I always leave feeling better and with a smile on my face. I think the entire staff is awsome."
    Melissa J.
  • "Quote from the movie The best exotic marigold hotel- β€œMost things don’t work out as expected, but what happens instead often turns out to be the good stuff.” - reminded me of you all. Thank you for helping me through my rough and frustrating healing process !!"
    Shirly P.
  • "Great office, sure had helped me"
    William G.
  • "Thank you to the entire team, Dr. Skocik, Kourtnay, Shannon, Nicole, and Daphne for taking great care of me. From not being able to walk to using a cane to now...you are a god-send! Highly recommended!!!!!"
    Dwayne D.
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    Kim D.
  • "Great Doctor! Amazing Staff! The first time I went to skocik chiropractor I was in a lot of pain but after just a few months I feel so much better."
    Waslat W.
  • "In addition to the standard chiropractic services, Skocik also offers massage. The massage therapist is awesome, the prices are fantastic and I have never left anything but totally satisfied. You do give up a tiny bit of ambiance compared to a "spa", but what you get is more than worth it in my opinion. Highly recommended."
    Tiffany I.
  • "I appreciate Dr Skocik calling me at home to inquire about my recovery!
    Try stem cell & PRP therapy. It's worth it if it means having your life back without surgery!"
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  • "I have been coming to this office for years and I would refer anyone to come to this office I never have had a bad experience."
    J. Weldon
  • "I like the combination of services they have.
    Adjustments, Maintenance, Physical Therapy options, massage and laser therapy.
    Not many places have that."
    A. Schultz
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    T. Mahone
  • "Great Chiropactor , great staff, they are passionate about what they do and it shines through. I would highly recommend Skocik Chiropractic ! πŸ‘"
    T. Romberger
  • "Dr Skocik treats his patients like family, great rehab equipment, phenomenal staff and amazing massage therapists!!!"
    T. Warner
  • "I go here for massages, best you'll find in the area, and very good prices. The large office that has a wide range of chiropractic treatment equipment, and is a complete back treatment and rehab facility."
  • "This office is highly professional and organized! Great chiro service and I highly recommend!"
    J. LeCadre
  • "Simply the best! Period."
    J. Williams
  • "Dr. Skocik office treats you like family, wonderful staff and I will recommend anyone to his office.πŸ‘ πŸ‘ πŸ‘"
    K. Trollinger
  • "Amazing first impression and excellent, thorough exam for diagnosis. Physical therapy feels great."
    C. Campbell
  • "This office is organized and very professional, great chiro care! Would definitely recommend this office!"
    C. Myers
  • "I've been seeing Dr. Skocik for many years. Very professional office, he and his staff take great care of me. I recommend them often."
    T. Mowatt
  • "Absolutely love Dr. Skocik and his staff!!! I treated with this practice for several years after a really bad fall, thanks to the wonderful chiropractic care and massage therapy I am pain free and have my mobility back!! Highly recommend Dr. Skocik!!!"
    T. Coffman
  • "Coming from Toronto and seized up shoulder. Dr went way out of his way on a Saturday to open the clinic for me to assess. Very professional and kind. Wonderful."
    A.C.
  • "Doctor Skocik is really sincere about helping people"
    J. Peiffer
  • "What I love about my experience. I was able to be seen with in a 24 hours window..For those who suffer from lower back pain will truly understand how important that is. For that alone i give you five stars .. Excellent staff"
    F. Jackson
  • "I love coming here. The staff is very Friendly! I have had all kinds of issues with my back and ever since I started coming here i have made lots of improvement. I highly recommend Skocik Chiropractic!"
    Jessica C.
  • "The level of care, from the chiropractic services, to the massage therapy..to the office staff...EVERYONE treats you like family. I can honestly say that their is a genuine concern for your progress and well being.
    I would highly recommend."
    Craig W.
  • "I have always had a good experience with them and I have been a patient for a number of years. They are very nice about rescheduling appointments. The staff is always very friendly and I have always found them reasonably priced."
    L. Henninger
  • "I had a great experience in Skocik Chiropractic and they are very professional and fixed my lower back pain problem. My whole family goes to this practice and we highly recommend to other people."
    F. Zhang
  • "Skocik Chiropractic was very personable and informative. Dr. Skocik and his staff purposefully takes care of their patients with attentiveness and professionalism. I enjoyed my time there and highly recommend Skocik Chiropractic."
    B. Wanda

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