When our joints or muscles ache, our first reaction may be that we worked too hard at some physical task and “it will go away”. Later when it hasn’t, we may visit the doctor to identify the cause of our pain. Unfortunately the doctor has many patients to treat and doesn’t always have the time and patience to discover the underlying problem of which the pain may be only a symptom. The doctor can help us to understand where the pain is and what hurts but many times it is up to us to figure out what is really causing the problem.
We may not realize that some of the things we do, often inadvertently, can cause our pain. Sometimes we need to thoroughly examine our behavior to identify habits or other actions that could be the culprit. This may even require us to stand beside ourselves, like an outside observer, and critically examine our activities looking for some incriminating action or habit. It could be something innocuous or even something we do subconsciously. Once we have that moment of recognition, we can quickly come to an understanding of the underlying problem and resolve it.
I say this from experience, having endured several episodes of “unexplained” joint pain that turned out to be something I was doing to me. I had elbow pain that wouldn’t go away; the joint hurt but only enough to be annoying. Finally the “aha” moment hit me when I realized that while sleeping on my side I would place my upper arm out straight in front of me and rest it on the mattress like a flying buttress. It was the constant pressure on the arm during the night that made my joint ache. Once I trained myself to sleep differently the pain magically disappeared.
I also had another experience where my knees ached. Again I had that “aha” moment when I awoke during the night and discovered the problem. For some reason I had started lying on my back in bed with my legs crossed. If I fell asleep and did not turn on my side, I would subconsciously tighten the leg muscles to keep my legs together. The long periods of muscle clenching put pressure on the knees until they ached. Mystery solved.
When we have pain in our joints, there may be a chronic condition that should be treated by a doctor. But sometimes, if we think about it, the pain is only a symptom of a habit or activity that we do to ourselves that is the real cause.
Knee Pain and Body Basics
I have been researching the effects of differences in leg and foot lengths to learn if they can cause problems, especially knee pain, while running. I’ve found several websites that discuss these issues but nothing that clearly states it will or won’t cause problems.Knee Strengthening Exercises: A Must for Athletes, Seniors, and Invalids
Knee strengthening exercises stretch and strengthen the surrounding muscle groups to prevent injury, decrease recovery time from an injury, and maintain alignment of the joint. These exercises help athletes, seniors, and invalids increase support of the knee joint and help reduce or eliminate knee pain.Does Exercising Have to Be Boring?
When you exercise, does a nagging voice keep repeating in your mind “Do I have to do this again? I don’t want to…” Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. It’s more than push ups and sit ups. You need to find a program that works best for you and your lifestyle.