The Best Things To Prevent & Relieve Back & Joint Pain, According To Doctors

According to Amy Baxter, MD Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Augusta University, stretching is critical to avoiding pain after working out. "The number one cause of joint pain is overuse or misuse, a frequent problem as days get nicer. Stretching out before exercise is a prevention measure that busy people may miss,” says Baxter. This stretching strap comes with an exercise book to give you advice on stretching specific parts of your body.

Baxter also recommends using icing your body after a workout to help you recover easier. "After a workout, icing an area for 20 minutes can reduce inflammation and pain,” says Baxter. This reusable cold pack can be placed in your freezer so it’s ready to go after your workout. You can also heat it up in the microwave for alternate uses.

Dr. James Vitale D.Ac, owner and clinic director of Suffolk County Acupuncture, recommends both acupuncture and cupping as ways to reduce back and joint pain. This silicone cupping therapy set allows you to try the process at home. Vitale also suggests looking up clips on YouTube to learn how to do the process.

For an acupuncture equivalent at home, try this acupressure mat and pillow set. The mat and pillow both have plastic spikes that hit your pressure points and help relax your muscles and relieve stress. One reviewer wrote about successfully convincing several friends to buy one, saying “Even people who think it looks terrifying have found it remarkably soothing.”

Occupational Therapist (OTR) Heidi Huynh recommends adding some attachments to your toilet to make it easier to sit down when you’re having back pain. "Knee, hip, or back pain could cause difficulty sitting on low surfaces. A toilet seat riser or toilet safety frame can help ease the stress on your joints when sitting/standing,” Huynh said. This safety rail makes it easier to gently lower yourself down.

Huynh also recommends using something like this toilet assist tool when you have back pain that makes wiping a little tricky. "Finding the right positioning while bending and twisting to clean oneself after using the restroom is awful for those with back pain. A wiping tool can assist to give the reach needed without the exacerbation of pain,” she says.

If you’re having back pain, reaching for something on a high shelf can be especially difficult, so it can be helpful to use this grabber tool. "A reacher can be used for a variety of purposes, to grab items from a distance without twisting a painful back, or for helping pull your pants over your feet, limiting bending which may aggravate your back, hip, or knees,” says Hyunh. Even without pain, it’s a handy accessory to have around the house.

Kris Ceniza, physical therapist and website manager for KneeForce.com, suggests a knee brace for relieving pain, like this brace with aluminum hinges and ventilation holes for max comfort. "Unloader knee braces relieve pressure on that side of the joint, hence relieving pain and improving function,” says Ceniza.

Having a good yoga mat is important for stretching, and this one comes with a regular length mat and a smaller mat for your knees. Dr. Jacob Hascalovici, Clearing chief medical officer, says that "Since activity, stretching, and balance-based exercises are so important for reducing joint and back pain, it’s a smart idea to get a large, extra-thick, non-slip yoga mat.” This one comes in seven colors.

“Yoga blocks and other yoga aids like straps can also help,” added Hascalovici. These yoga blocks come in a set of two and are made from a dense yet lightweight foam that lets you extend and adjust stretches based on your ability and comfort level. They’re also helpful for balancing and stability.

Small things like your shoes might be affecting your back without you even realizing it. “The right support for the soles of your feet can make a big difference for your back, it turns out,” says Hascalovici. These insoles have arch support that can help with plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and other pain.

Not all pillows are created equal or offer equal support. This lumbar support pillow can be used for your lower back or legs. "It’s great the difference the right back pillow can make. If you spend a lot of time sitting, consider a supportive lower back pillow,” says Hascalovici. This pillow is made of comfortable memory foam and includes a washable and removable cover.

Sandra Gail Frayna, the founder of Hudson Premier Physical Therapy & Sports, also backs up the idea of cushioning your back to provide support when seated for extended periods of time. This particular cushion is more suitable to use at work, or in public. "[The] Cushion Lab Extra Dense Lumbar Pillow has a unique ergonomic design with patented technology, hydrofoam, an extra dense memory foam for support in your entire upper body region, specially designed for low back pain relief,” says Frayna.

Frayna also says that if you hunch over while working or driving, your bad posture can lead to back pain. This posture corrector helps keep your back and spine straight. "This posture corrector helps you maintain a proper posture without any effort on your part by taking pressure off of key areas. The tension will pull your shoulders back slightly, creating muscle memory which will correct posture over time, thus relieving back pain,” she says.

Dr. Marla Lerner-Powers DC, a chiropractor with NeuroBlossom Chiropractic, recommends a standing desk like this tilting mobile podium to reduce back pain. "Sitting for extending periods of time during desk work is a common cause of pain, especially low back pain, and spending time standing engages postural muscles such as the multifidus, which supports the spine and helps avoid pain,” she says.

If you are going to be standing for an extended period of time, especially on a hard surface, then you may want a cushioned anti-fatigue mat to keep comfortable. "If someone is standing on a hard surface though, such as a tile or cement floor, they may need an anti-fatigue mat to protect their joints and avoid pain,” says Lerner-Powers.

If your eyes are strained by your computer screen, it can not only harm your vision but also your neck from constantly leaning forward. This blue light and anti-glare filter for your computer screen helps protect against these issues. "Screen glare can contribute to neck pain if it causes someone to squint and draw his or her head forward to try to read the text in front of them. This results in a posture of anterior head carriage, and can lead to neck and back pain, especially at the base of the neck where it meets the shoulders,” says Lerner-Powers.

This monitor stand raises your computer so that you can look straight ahead at the screen instead of looking down. Plus, it has a convenient shelf for storing office items. "Reading stands and laptop stands are important for desk work because they help us avoid looking down, allowing us to instead stay in an anatomically neutral position. This helps avoid neck pain and headaches,” says Lerner-Powers.

David Culpepper, MD, Clinical Director of LifeMD, notes the importance of a good pillow to avoid back pain, specifically this pillow filled with buckwheat hulls. "Buckwheat pillows can greatly improve cervical support by providing a more solid, stable positioning of the head and neck that does not gradually sink during the course of the night, as occurs with many conventional pillows. Many people would be surprised—and rest easier—to know how much of a difference a pillow can make in reducing back pain,” says Culpepper.

According to Dr. Greg Mongeon, Founder and Lead Clinician at Vitae Functional Medicine, using vibration therapy can “minimize joint pain by affecting the muscle belly itself. Many times lactic acid gets trapped in the muscle belly, and we need to go in and release the Golgi tendon organ in the body.” This vibrating foam roller is embossed with three massage patterns and five vibration levels.

If your feet or ankles are bothering you, Chiropractor Jennifer Hastings, recommends compression socks that help with arch support. "I usually recommend compression socks for people who are having ankle problems, or that are standing for long periods of time at work. Compression socks are great for support, helping alleviate and create more stability on the ankles and the feet,” Hastings said.

This inversion table not only allows you to stretch upside down, but it has built-in heat and massage features to help relieve your muscles. “Doing inversion at the end of the day helps traction the spine, stretch the lumbar disks and reduce the speed of spinal degeneration on people with low back pain and disk issues,” says Hastings.

Leada Malek, PT, DPT, CSCS, SCS, suggests using this “I Am Strong” notebook to keep track of positive things in your life. "We've found that people who have low self-efficacy or poor beliefs about their back pain or body are more likely to have poorer outcomes. This notebook offers a simple way to write down one thing you're proud about, can do, or feel [strongly] about doing with your back to help improve your self-efficacy and beliefs about your body,” says Malek.

Andrea Paul, MD, Medical Advisor to Illuminate Labs, recommends getting a high-quality office chair, like this ergonomic chair that offers plenty of support. "Poor-quality office chairs can worsen back pain,” says Paul. “Patients with back pain should look for an ergonomic office chair that's designed specifically to provide lumbar support, which the Duorest provides.”

Jerome Enad, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeon/independent contractor, recommends this knee wrap to help decrease pain and swelling on your legs. It might be a little pricey, but it can be a great solution to those in need. "It is superior to other cold compression devices in that there is absolute temperature control, the compression occurs in a sequential distal to proximal direction to pump any swelling back up to the heart, [and] it allows you to bend your knee while wearing it so theoretically you can still walk comfortably while it’s on,” explains Enad.

These Birkenstock sandals are comfortable, supportive, and waterproof, making them an ideal warm weather shoe that won’t destroy your feet. Plus, they come in 33 colors. Podiatrist Dr. Christina Bui recommends a supportive shoe and even a proper shoe fitting. "I recommend finding a local shoe store that will do a proper fitting-arch feet morphology changed over the years and especially for the female population after child bearing,” she said.