4 Ways to Ease Muscle and Joint Pain

Since my first period at age 12, inflammation has been a part of my life. But as a teenager and late adolescent, I actively ignored the issue, refusing to make necessary life adjustments to ease my aches and pains. As a result, I went to regular chiropractor appointments throughout my youth and even had a breast reduction at 17 years old to offset my aching back. Thankfully, as I’ve matured, I’ve become more in tune with my body – listening to what aggravates my muscle and joint pain, what’s neutral, and what alleviates it. I’ve found a combination of a regular yoga practice, supplements, and finding a good CBD roll-on for pain has helped on my healing journey. Let’s dive into why!

1. Table of Contents

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   Yoga

It wasn’t until four years after my first real yoga class that I became a consistent practitioner. It was December of 2020, and on a whim, I decided to sign up for a 30-day online yoga journey that would start on January 2. Before this, I had signed up for a myriad of fitness plans but had never completed one. But this felt different; I had recently begun to incorporate yoga flows into my weekly routine and noticed that when I did, my joints ached less on the days I practiced. 

With nothing to lose, I jumped head first into the program, wanting to kickstart 2021 on a high note after the dumpster fire that was 2020. For 30 days, I showed up on my mat every day, listening to the encouraging and supportive words from the instructor. One week into the program, I started noticing differences about my body I couldn’t ignore: my hips didn’t pop nearly as much as they typically did and my neck and shoulders felt much looser.

Those 30 days set me on a path that ingrained in me a lifelong love of yoga. I completed another 30 days for 2022 and continued the streak, eventually setting a personal record of 40 consecutive days of yoga. Next year, my goal is 50. But as the year went on, my daily yoga practice has turned into a couple of times a week if I’m lucky, but usually relegated to the weekend. 

Life is busy, and we sometimes don’t have time to do the preventative maintenance our bodies require. But thankfully, we live in a world filled with options, and I’ve been able to supplement my yoga practice with other tools. So while yoga will always be my base, the rest of the list has been shown to help ease muscle and joint pain. 

1. CBD roll-on 

Like all dogs, mine lose their minds when it’s time to go for a walk. It had been a while since I’d taken my younger dog for a fast-paced walk, where we intersperse jogging into the route. My girl loved it, and I definitely did at the moment, but as the day went on, I could feel my hips start to lock and my back start to stiffen. By the end of the night, I was hurting.

I’m familiar with the effects of smoking and consuming CBD edibles, but I decided to research different options for CBD roll-ons for pain. It wasn’t a shock to read they help with inflammation, and studies are being conducted to determine if CBD products are as effective as other pain relief medications like ibuprofen. 

As we become more open to alternative medicine as a society, it’s fascinating to see scientific research prove what ancient healers have said for centuries: our planet provides us with natural remedies; we just have to know what to look for. CBD roll-ons for pain have been shown to help with both chronic pain and occasional aches and pains. 

1. Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Deep down, my teenage self knew the day would come when my diet habits would have to go through a rebrand. Both my mom’s and dad’s sides of the family have food issues. On my Mom’s, they struggle with sodium and heavily processed foods. On my dad’s side of the family, they all have gastrointestinal problems. Combine those genetics, and you have me: constantly bloated and always inflamed. 

But out of all the diet fads and trends I tried over the years, nothing has helped more than following the anti-inflammatory diet guidelines. It’s a lot of vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, turmeric, green tea, and fish. Although it was an adjustment, I now naturally gravitate to foods I know won’t leave my joints aching after finishing my plate. 

1. Supplements 

I’ve tried a lot of different supplements over the years, but I feel that Vitamin D, Omega-3, and turmeric have helped keep my inflammation at bay. And while I’ve found a combination that works for me, I can’t stress enough how everyone reacts to supplements differently. I encourage you to