Joint and Muscle Pain Relief | What The Other Sites Won't Tell You

Do you have aching joints and muscles? Do you feel like your pain is not going away, no matter how much time you spend stretching, icing, or resting? You are not alone. Lots of people experience some form of joint or muscle pain every day. What the other sites aren't telling you is that the cause of your pain is stress. We want to outline for you some not-so-obvious ways anxiety is creeping into your life and destroying your body. So here it is, the major paradigm shift to the source of your joint and muscle pain...

Joint and muscle pain is not just a symptom of an injury; it could also be your body's natural response to stress.

That's right, stress could be causing your joint and muscle pain. It's crucial to find a way to handle the stressors that could be causing this pain. Unfortunately, many of us have not been trained to handle emotional problems. 

Let me throw another paradigm shift at you...

You've been strength training for the wrong type of fight.

The current state of the fitness industry is broken. It's helping people get physically strong without training them for the emotional challenges we face every day. Ignoring the necessary coping skills that leave many unable to handle stressful situations. This leads not only to joint and muscle pains but a decline in a person's overall health. These issues could lead to developing long-term physical and mental ailments making your whole being weak and unhealthy!

So what are some main causes of modern emotional stress that could be contributing to your joint and muscle pain?

Your Phone!

Our lives today revolve around our phones. It's a personal computer, calendar, and alarm clock all in one! We are becoming addicted to notifications and comparing our lives to those we see on social platforms. We need to understand how the phone negatively affects us and start finding time to unplug and rest. A simple way to disconnect from your phone would be to get an old-school alarm clock. This way, you aren't tempted to check your phone first thing after waking up. 

Social Media (Especially Those "Fitness" Influencers)!

It is essential to know that there are some pretty severe consequences to the overconsumption of Social Media. Social Media can cause feelings of inadequacy and jealousy when comparing your life with the lives you see online in a perfect light all day, every day. This leads us down an unhealthy path where we start feeling bad about ourselves because we don't look like those models on social media. Although it can appear to be harmless, frequent social media use may lead to depression or anxiety when we don't feel like we measure up.

Hustle Culture!

Most likely, you have heard of Hustle Culture. It's the idea that you can only be successful in life by outperforming the next person. Hustle is a way of life that can lead you down an unhealthy path where your health suffers from stress. This stress can manifest itself in your body in the form of joint pain and muscle strains. The key to real long-term success isn't in winning at all costs; it's about balance and taking holistic health approaches to care for your body.

Keeping Up With the Joneses!

Keeping up with the Joneses is a big part of the hustle culture and the anxiety that goes with it. Feeling pressure to have all those "cool" things as your neighbors, even if they are out of reach for whatever reason. Keeping up with the Joneses, though, is a little more insidious than hustle culture. It is an internal foe that messes with your emotions. It's almost like you get hypnotized to covet, which can lead you to make poor decisions. This stress can manifest itself in your body as joint pain and muscle pain. Winning at all costs to have those "cool" things will make you lose in the end.

WebMD.com!

You've been to WebMD at least once in your life, worried about some symptoms you're experiencing. Most likely, you saw signs for something SUPER scary and convinced yourself you had THAT! WebMD is becoming the go-to site where everyone goes to search out questions like, "why is my toe so red?" and you get an article telling you, "because it's probably a carrot and you should eat it to get the nutrients." Obviously, this is an exaggeration, but don't lie; if the website told you this, you might rethink everything you know about human anatomy.

Don't get us wrong; web MD is a fantastic resource. However, it can make you believe that you have something that you don't. The reality is that WebMD can add a lot of stress to your life if you don't verify what it tells you with an actual physician with who you have consulted.

So what can you do to battle against these foes and get some joint and muscle pain relief? 

Most likely, you have no interest in becoming a monk (no judgments if you do!). So what can you practically do that isn't throwing your phone in the trash, disconnecting from the reality of the modern world, and taking a vow to never accomplish anything again? 

Let's take a look at some practical day-to-day habits you can implement to relieve some stress and see if you get some joint and muscle pain relief.

Let's start with your morning:

• Get an old school alarm clock (or just stop using an alarm clock altogether)
  • Stop using your phone for an alarm clock. You will fall into a rabbit hole of nonsense and being susceptible to starting your day off in stress.
• Spend your first 15-30 minutes in silence.
  • This is a great way to orient your mind and reflect. If you want to be an over-achiever, doing an activity like Tai Chi is a great way to get the meditation and the motion to start your day off right. Plus, it's excellent for that joint and muscle pain relief!

Afternoon Routine:

• Do something to get your blood flowing (not boiling).
  • Take a walk to get your blood flowing. Go for a light jog if it won't inflame your joints, causing you pain. This can help with joint and muscle pain relief, of course, but also release endorphins that improve your mood. After your run, try and do some stretches to keep your muscles healthy.
• Take a Bath
  • Take a hot bath and soak for 20 minutes or so (or until you feel nice and relax). This is one of the best ways I know about how to relieve joint pain and muscle aches from life stressors. This also has practical health benefits like reducing inflammation in your joints which can provide you with much-needed relief. 

At Night:

• Choose a cutoff time for work
  •  It's essential to take care of yourself, and if your work is stressing you out, it could be causing joint or muscle pain. If possible, try to establish a cut-off time for your workday (regardless if there's more work to be done). Learning how to stop the daily grind is vital so you can turn it off and get some much-needed time to relax. Oh yeah, turn your phone off at this point too!

Slow down and don't sweat the small stuff (it's all small stuff)

We have more control over our stressors than you might currently believe. However, we need to be active in our fight against them. We can control how much time we spend on our phones and computers, which can negatively affect our emotions and cause physical distress like neck pain or back pain.

We can also take on more activities or hobbies that allow us to be active, like swimming, running, cycling, yoga, or tai chi. These are all great ways of reducing stress levels while simultaneously getting in some exercise!

Remember, modern life is stressful. We are over-stimulated and over-scheduled. Remember to carve out time each day away from electronics. Make sure to schedule time for yourself and time to be intentional with loved ones to keep a healthy balance. These simple tips will lead you on a path of good health, both mentally and physically. Which in turn can lead to less stress and better feeling joints and muscles!