Expert Advice

How to keep your joints happy

29 December 2023 | By Mr Paul Parker

“Be kind to your knees - you’ll miss them when they’re gone.” There are many nuggets of wisdom in Baz Luhrman’s Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) but this one’s got to be our favourite. 

If you’re starting to feel the first niggles in your knees, or stiffness in your spine, now is the time to take action. To help us understand our joints and how we can protect them, we’ve brought in the big guns. Mr Paul Parker is the British Army's most senior Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, and he explains how to defend your joints against the attacks of aging.

What makes a happy joint? 

Well it’s pretty easy to say what makes for an unhappy one!

Whether it’s your back, your hips or your knees, unhappy joints can cause pain, instability and stiffness, including loss of normal range of motion. Even if we manage to avoid injury, our joints will inevitably suffer from wear and tear over time.

However, the good news is that we can repair our unhappy joints. Joints love movement, lubrication and a good supply of fuel. The less you move, the stiffer you become. The stiffer you become, the less you move – and that’s not good! Muscle weakness and inactivity lead to shear stresses in joints; in other words, the joint wobbles too much, like the wheel bearings in your car. Muscle strength stabilises these joints. 

To continue the car analogy, the heavier the load on the tyre, the faster it wears out, so reducing your Body Mass Index or BMI is important. In fact, just getting that BMI down from 30 to 25 will significantly decrease the rate at which your joints will wear out or feel stiff and painful. 

"Eating 40g of blueberries a day significantly reduces joint inflammation."

How to protect your joints

Slip into some new shoes

Most of us wear out one side of our heels and soles more quickly than the other. Initially, if the wear is only slight this isn’t a problem, but after a while, your feet are being twisted or canted abnormally out of shape. Really worn heels on your shoes throw your feet and knees off balance and increase joint strain – so change them regularly. Even if they are your favourite pair! 

Work out - however works for you

Exercise, at any age, is a really great way to lose weight, even with worn joints. Home-based exercises have been shown to work well, although going to a supervised class is probably better. Water-based exercise classes such as aqua aerobics or aquacise also offer wonderful benefits, as impact on the joints is significantly reduced. If you can’t get cross-country skiing or swimming, then use a NordicTrack or an elliptical trainer. Even a rowing machine is great fun and will really make a difference. 

Know your nutrients

What you eat can make a real difference to your joint health. A proper diet containing protein is important for muscle strength. Vitamin C is needed for cartilage repair, and carbohydrates are needed for energy. 

How to help inflamed joints

If you notice your joints becoming inflamed, there are a couple of supplements you should seek out. Chondroitin, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, and Glucosamine, which helps maintain cartilage health. Did you know that berries can also bring inflammation and pain down? 

Eating 40g of blueberries a day significantly reduces joint inflammation and 50g of strawberries acts as a natural painkiller. 

Roger that - we’re off to make a fruit salad, buy some new shoes, and sign up to aquacise…

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