Dr Zac Turner on how to manage joint and back pain

It’s a problem millions of Aussies have faced and it can be easily eased. But it can also be a sign of something more sinister.

Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column for news.com.au. This week Dr Zac Turner explains how to help stop joint and back pain.

Question: Hi Dr Zac, help, I’m getting old! OK, I’m only 39, but I’m noticing my body doesn’t behave the way it used to. You should hear my knees, every time I get up – they sound very crunchy. And my lower back pain can be excruciating at times. Ahh, the joys of being a tradie since I was 16.

Is there a medical WD-40 for my knees and back? This year I’ll turn the big 4-0, and I’m keen to learn more about pain reduction and prolonging the use of my back and knees for as long as possible. – Warwick, Darwin

Answer: The early bird gets the worm, Warwick – live by those words. I applaud you for thinking proactively about your health. The work you put in now will always pay off in the future. And it doesn’t always have to be on such a long timeline. Right now, drink a glass of water and spend an hour outside with no screen time – you will feel amazing for the rest of the day.

There are definitely some Dr Zac tips and tricks to help soothe your joint and back pain, but I must recommend you see your doctor if the pain persists and gets worse. Often these pains are warning signs for something more serious occurring in your body.

Listen to your body, are you creaking like old floor boards because you’ve been sitting down all day, or is your body trying to tell you something?

Joint pain can be a warning sign of something serious, see your doctor if you ware worried.

What is a joint?

It’s a part of the body where two or more bones meet to allow movement. Every bone in your body has a friend and meets with another bone. The only Nigel-No Friends bone in your body is the Hyoid bone in your throat.

Your body spends a lot of time and energy towards keeping these joints lubricated. Just like door hinges need a spray of WD-40 every now and then, your joints need a hefty spray every day to keep up.

A common joint pain is Arthritis, which is an inflammation of the joint which causes stiffness and pain. As you age, your joints will become overworked and become inflamed so you must ensure you proactively prolong this for as long as possible.

Neck pain

Neck pain is a fairly common joint pain that my patients present to me. The solutions for this can be quite simple. One is to apply moist heat to the area of pain, which is most likely the joint at the base of your neck which connects your spine to your heavy head. This can be a towel soaked in warm water.

You can also try sleeping with a very slim pillow or none at all. Let your neck joint rest in its natural position when you sleep. Another great tip is to sleep with a pillow between your knees as this will help limit stomach sleepers face-planting into their pillow all night and help improve circulation.

Elbow pain

Elbow pain can be eased with light exercises.

For Tennis Elbows, you can also apply warm heat. Exercises to try to prevent pain involve you straightening your elbow, such as pushing objects or lifting your arms upwards to the ceiling.

A Dr Zac-recommended exercise would be standing across from the wall holding a light weight or medicine ball. Do one squat, then when you rise continue the movement by stretching your arms up towards the ceiling. Include this in your regular exercise regimes and you’ll have arms as strong as Popeye’s.

Hip and knee pain

Your knees are particularly important and can be very painful when they play up. Picture: nandyphotos

Maybe the two most important joints to look after in your body. Both are essential for comfortable movement.

For your hip pain a simple daily exercise can be lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. While tightening your core and buttocks, lift your hips three to five inches off the floor and hold for around five seconds (ten if you can hold out!). Repeat this exercise around ten times and aim to do it daily.

After your hip exercises, stay lying on the ground and keep one knee upright and bent and the other straight on the floor. Lift your straight knee up to the level of your bent knee and slowly lower them. Again do this daily and round ten times for both knees.

Back pain

Around four million Aussies have back problems, which is startling to hear because the back is so important. We all need to look after ourselves and perform a handful of daily habits to stave away this issue.

The first rule of the no-back pain club is to stay active! Keep your body moving and try not to stay in the same position for extended periods of time. If you work at a desk, get up every hour and do a stretch.

Abdominal exercises help keep your core strong. By having a strong core, you are relieving your back from carrying all the weight of your body. Try your hand at some Yoga classes, it’s a great way to build strength and flexibility.

Eat this every day – it’s lubricant for your joints

Keep healthy amounts of vitamin D, Magnesium and calcium running through your body. In unison these will work together in keeping you healthy. Don’t go out and buy supplements, just have avocado on toast with pumpkin seeds (high in Magnesium), baby spinach and feta (high in Calcium). And eat it outside under the sun to soak up vitamin D.

Sit on the floor when watching TV

Finally swap your chair or sofa for a cushion on the floor when you’re relaxing next week as this will encourage some better posture and why not add some comfortable stretches to your TV time.

Look after yourself Warwick, and keep proactive about the future of your health!

Dr Zac Turner has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney. He is both a medical practitioner and a co-owner of telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was also a registered nurse and is also a qualified and experienced biomedical scientist along with being a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering.

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