Joints can be a really big pain. They swell up, ache and hurt. Not so long ago joint pain was an “old person” problem. But not anymore. With longer lifespans our musculoskeletal system needs to work harder for longer. Sadly, it is not always up to the task. What is joint pain? Joint pain is caused by a few different factors and varies a lot in severity and length of discomfort. The fluids between bones drain away. Bones deteriorate and grind. Tendons are injured and become inflamed. Mobility and flexibility are lost as the bones scrunch together at joints and in the spine. There are many underlying causes that are not helped much by the “modern lifestyle” - in other words, a lack of regular exercise or too much high impact exercise, the strain of excessive weight, and living a sedentary lifestyle. If we do not take care of our health we prime our bones and joints for strain and pain. Early intervention The best thing you can do if you notice pain in your joints or spine is to seek medical advice - right away. Masking it with painkillers is not treating the cause. By letting the pain worsen over time, recovery is going to be harder and slower. Even visiting a GP  two weeks after the onset of symptoms instead of one week makes a substantial difference to getting better. A clinic in Madrid has proved it is best to seek early intervention for the best recovery. Inflammation reducing ingredients If you suffer from mild joint pain and arthritis there is good reason to spice up your life. A lot of common ingredients have properties proven to reduce inflammation, swelling and pain. Healthsite.com recommends sprinkling your cooking with these health boosting ingredients: black pepper, red chilli pepper, cloves, cinnamon, tumeric and carom seeds. Another site makes a case for oranges (especially the pithy white part), extra virgin olive oil for lubricating joints, salmon and kefir (which is more likely to be available at health food stores). Who knew medicine could taste so good! Joint replacement surgery In the worst case scenario patients will seek joint replacement surgery. This is always a last resort after more conservative treatments have not led to the desired improvement. The patients undergoing joint replacement surgery are getting younger all of the time. Where surgery candidates were once elderly or retirees, they are now middle aged workers or even people in child rearing years. Yet there is good news coming from the USA regarding joint replacement surgery. Patients no longer have to fear being stuck in hospital for weeks. Orthopaedic surgeons have refined their technique so much that the procedure can be done at an outpatient clinic. The patient even proceeds to physical therapy 48 hours after surgery. Full recovery takes 4 - 6 weeks, at home! A google search shows that the procedure can be done this way in Australia although it doesn’t seem to be a blanket rule at all hospitals. Seek advice from your own medical team about the best way forward for you. Weather On a quirky endnote, two thirds of study participants claimed to feel changes in their weather via their inflamed or arthritic joints. It is thought that tissue expands, exacerbating swelling in the joints in response to barometric pressure. While this remain anecdotal evidence only, if you have arthritis or swollen joints, your future weather predictions might be more accurate than what is broadcast on the Weather Channel. Visit www.badbacks.com.au to browse our useful products for managing joint pain.