Why Your Joints Ache After 50 — and What You Can Do About It

2. Maintain a healthy weight

More than 40 percent of older adults in the U.S. have obesity, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Extra weight, Hume explains, puts extra stress on the joints — especially weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.

“If you have normal-sized tires in your knee” — tires being a metaphor Hume uses for the cushiony cartilage between the bones — “but you’re carrying around twice the body weight that the knees are designed for, the wear obviously is going to become more severe more rapidly,” he says.

One study found that losing 1 pound of body weight reduces the load on the knees by 4 pounds. What’s more, fat tissue produces proteins that can cause inflammation in and around your joints, which is another reason losing weight can help with joint discomfort.

Being underweight can pose problems for the joints too. Oftentimes people who are underweight lack proper muscle development, and “the cartilage is not made to accept all of the compression and all of the force, especially when we’re talking about the knees,” King says.

This force is meant to be distributed throughout the body. “You need good muscle strength, you need good flexibility, you need good core strength and hip strength to be able to absorb that impact,” he adds.

3. Clean up your diet

Hand in hand with weight management is a healthy diet. Hume’s focus is less on one food or nutrient; instead, he says, it’s all about portion control, steering clear of empty calories and having “a nice balance of proteins.”

Some research shows a Mediterranean diet — rich in fruits, vegetables, grains and healthy fats — benefits people with osteoarthritis. A 4,470-person study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, for example, found that adults with osteoarthritis who stuck to a Mediterranean diet more often had less pain, disability and depressive symptoms. Another study found that adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of worsening knee pain from osteoarthritis.

Supplements abound when it comes to joint pain. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the most commonly marketed, but evidence of their effectiveness is inconclusive, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the National Institutes of Health. Same goes for dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), which have been used for arthritis.

Because glucosamine and chondroitin may interact with blood thinners, like warfarin, and could interfere with the way the body handles sugar, it’s important to talk to your doctor before taking them or any other supplement. DMSO and MSM can also come with side effects, including an upset stomach and skin irritation.

4. Stay hydrated

If you’re dehydrated, your body will start siphoning water from other sources, including the cartilage, which is mostly water (about 80 percent). And drawing water out of the cartilage, however, lessens its lubrication, which can lead to joint pain. “We certainly know that keeping the cartilage well hydrated is one of the best ways to keep it healthy,” King says.​​

Drinking plenty of water also helps flush inflammatory toxins out of the body and prevents injury to other areas that work in tandem with the joints. “Well-hydrated tendons, well-hydrated ligaments, well-hydrated muscles are less likely to get injured,” King adds.

5. Manage your pain

When joint pain strikes, you don’t have to suffer through it. There are simple ways to alleviate the aches that accompany arthritis. First, though, try to understand what brought on the pain.

“Was it because you tried something new? Was it because you pushed too hard?” If so, take a few days off and try again — just be sure to listen to your body, King says.

You may find that ice after exercise and a compression sleeve during is enough to keep joint pain at bay. If it persists, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen and naproxen) and pain relievers (acetaminophen) can help. Just be sure to talk to your pharmacist or health care provider about which one is best for you. Anti-inflammatories can increase bleeding risks in the gastrointestinal tract, and this risk increases with age; people with liver damage should avoid acetaminophen.

There are also topical pain relievers, which come with fewer side effects. The key is finding one that works best for you — once you do, “you’re golden,” Hume says.

If your pain is more severe, your doctor may recommend a corticosteroid or viscosupplement injection. Partial or total joint-replacement surgery is a last resort and is typically reserved for people with extensive damage.

“Being patient is another goal” when it comes to taking care of your joints, King says. “You may not be able to relive all of your glory years of when you were 20 and 30. But with the right preparation and a realistic expectation, the years that you have in front of you could be even better.”

Editor’s note: This story, originally published June 14, 2021, has been updated to include additional information. ​