Movement can help us release stress, tension, and overcome stagnation in the mind and body. But when our habits of movement become aren’t a dynamic balance of muscle use or are too sedentary, it can lead to the development of joint pain and arthritis. Most people in the US over 60 years old have been told they have some form of arthritis. Whether you are currently experiencing join pain or want to take preventative measures to avoid it, there’s specific mindful movements to know that help nourish the fluid between our joints. The influence of genetic predispositions and existing painful joints can also make movement feel like a unpleasant task, but can we listen to the pain as our body’s way of communicating a need for change?
The joints that allow for the greatest range of movement are synovial joints, termed by the synovial fluid that nourishes and encapsulates the area where two bones meet. Covering the ends of each bone is a thin layer of hyaline cartilage, making their surfaces smooth. Muscles hold our joints in place, and balanced use of muscles can sustain the space between joints, preventing joint pain and arthritis.
Source of Joint Pain
Our joints and the fluid that circulates to and through them is impacted by our mind. When the body is in a constant state of alert, it can lead to flare ups that manifest into joint pain and inflammation.
Those with arthritis experience a deterioration of cartilage, causing the bones to loose their smooth surface and ability to glide. In the beginning stages of arthritis, fluid accumulates in the joints, causing swelling and destroying the associated cartilage. This cartilage can remain intact for 150 years, yet nowadays majority of people develop some form of arthritis within their lifetime.
Our daily lives require movement of the same joints and muscles, with little range of motion, and a high level of impact. Using our joints and muscles without an opposition of movement, keen awareness, and diverse range of motion causes the space between our joints to diminish over the years.
Remedies to Joint Pain and Good Practices for Prevention
There are exercises that drain off the fluid built up in joints through promoting the function of the body’s innate healing mechanisms. Relearning to move without stress or unnecessary impact to the joints is a process that requires mindfulness, patience, and relaxation in every day of life. Our bodies need opposing movement to the motions of sitting, walking, and even repetitive sports we so often move through. These exercises are meant to help you find what works best for you, your body, and the movements that best naturally oppose what you normally do. Our bodies become tired of the movements we do too much of, so remain aware of this as you go throughout your habits of moving.
Breath and visualization
The breath and mind can work together to promote blood flow to areas of joint pain or function as a preventative measure for joint health. When the mind focuses on a joint, blood flow to that point is increased, reducing joint swelling.
Start by lying on your back in a relaxed position, with a pillow behind your head and under your knees if you’d like. Breath in and out through your nose slowly and bring your attention to your little toes. Imagine them expanding with each in-breath and contracting with each out-breath. Move your awareness through each set of toes, slowly sending your breath into those points one at a time. Now move your visualization up through your body, imagining your ankles shrinking and expanding as you breath deeply. Visualize air moving into the joints of your knees, hips, and pelvis. When you breathe into your abdomen, visualize the space between your ribs expanding and contracting, then do the same through your vertebrae column. As you shift your breath to your collar bones, shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers, continue with this visualization. Sending air through your arms again and eventually to your neck and skull, imagine the space between you skull bones expanding. If you are unable to maintain the connection between a joint and your mind, try massaging it gently for a moment. If you have a specific region or joint that is in pain, send your breath to that joint for 20 deep breathes, slowly inhaling with expansion and exhaling with contraction. Take 5-10 minutes with this practice once a day if you experience joint pain or if you want to practice as a preventative measure.
Ankle Movements
The ankles provide stability for the joints in the rest of the body, making ankle mobility and strength very important for the whole body. Try this exercise while seated in a chair, start by extending your legs out with your heels touching the floor. Flex your feet and rotate your ankles to explore the range of motion, noticing where you feel the most effort. This can be easily practiced by adding in rotations in small open spaces within your day: sitting at a desk, before you start a drive, while watching a show. Practicing 300-400 ankle rotations a day can make significant improvements in ankle stability and range of movement. Pair this exercise with the breath and visualization, moving your breath and expansive energy towards your ankles.
Finger Stretch
This exercise encourages us to move our fingers in the opposite direction of their normal mobility. Try this practice if you experience arthritis or joint pain in your hands and fingers to improve circulation. Extend your fingers for 10 deep breaths to stretch your hands. You can also add a gentle tapping to the back of your finger joints, hands, and wrists. Take a few moments for this practice several times a day to improve mobility.
Hot Salt Water Bath
For those with arthritic hands or feet, this practice can help reduce swelling and increase mobility. Prepare a large bowl of hot water at around 100 degrees F with about 1/2 cup Epsom salt or salts rich in minerals. For the hands, submerge them in the water, then open and close your hands 10 times. Massage your fingers 2-5 minutes each finger. For the toes, start by massaging your foot and toes out of the water if you can, then submerge your foot in warm water in the bowl or bathtub. If you are filling a bathtub of water use about 3 cups Epsom salt. Under the water, rotate your foot 300-400 times in each direction, stopping after every 30-40 times to visualize the rotations. After you finish rotating your foot, spread your toes apart and squeeze them together 50 times. Repeat with the other foot at the same time if there’s space in your water vessel or consecutively if not. After these exercises, you can find that there’s less swelling and your hands and feet can open and close more easily.
Our bodies expression of pain is a way of communicating to us that something needs to change. Rather than building frustration with your body for the sensation of pain, listen and let the pain guide you to heal. When we experience stiffness, maintaining space for awareness around what motions are causing it is an important step before trying to move through it. Demanding more of our bodies does not mean it will make us healthier. But paying attention to potential causes of stiffness in addition to movement habits, such as overburdening your body, stress, illness, fatigue, and indigestion can help heal the root of the symptom.
We must learn to diversify the muscles we use and to move with less strain. Foot rotations, knee movements, self massage, breath and visualization are incredible medicines for relieving and preventing joint pain. The severity of joint pain will determine the intensity and duration of movement practices you may want or need. If you would like further guidance on how to alleviate or prevent joint pain, our in-house yoga therapist and teacher Laxman Panthi can help you with personalized guidance! You can book an appointment with Laxman on our website under the “Appointments” tab.
We hope you find love, care, and discipline in your movement practices for your joints and whole body.
References
“Poll: Aching joints make older adults reach for many forms of pain relief – but health risks could follow.” Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. September 12, 2022. ihpi.umich.edu
Schneider, Meir. Movement for Self Healing. New World Library. 1987.
Article by Kaylee Vinson
Published 5/6/2025
