CINCINNATI (WKRC) – If you’re feeling joint pain during this pandemic, you might be surprised what could work against it.

It may hurt initially, but don’t let joint pain stop you from finding time for fitness. That’s the latest from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, better known as NICE.

They’re drafting new guidelines for those with joint pain due to arthritis. The team at OrthoCincy is supporting this idea, saying exercise should be a core treatment for joint wear and tear. Even if it hurts at first, it’s still a good intervention. Dr. Matt DesJardins said, however, you may need to mix it up a bit.

“The way the body is designed, it’s not designed to do the same thing over and over again, real repetitively,” said Dr. DesJardins.

He says a lot of people with arthritis come in, especially runners, and have overuse injuries. They think they have to stop exercising to feel better, but he says these kinds of injuries can be treated.

“The treatments are going to be pretty basic,” he said. “Usually, it involves some reduction in running, but altering their training. So ... we will have to reduce some of their mileage and bring in some things that are going to be healthier for them, such as some cross-training activities.”

Cross-training is considered a prescription for long-term joint pain. It will not harm the joints. The guidelines also say you may not need imaging tests to diagnose this kind of joint pain and strong painkillers are not recommended.

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