Joint Pain Relief After 50: What Actually Helps?

By Helen Chow, ND, Dip Herb, UK-qualified Naturopath & Herbalist, Food Therapist
Originally published May 3, 2017. Reviewed & Updated October 8, 2026.

Have you ever stopped doing something you enjoy because a knee, hip, shoulder or hand started complaining?

Perhaps you shortened your walks.

Stopped taking the stairs.

Decided gardening was becoming “too much”.

Or quietly abandoned an exercise class because you were afraid you might be wearing your joints out even more.

I understand why. When something hurts, our natural instinct is to protect it.

But here is where joint pain can become rather sneaky.

• You move less because it hurts.
• Then the muscles supporting the joint become weaker.
• Movement becomes harder.
• Your confidence drops.
• So you move even less.

And before you know it, the painful joint has started making decisions about how you live your life.

I don’t want that for us.

After 50, the objective is not simply to make an ache disappear for a few hours.

It is to preserve the ability to walk, travel, climb stairs, carry your shopping, get out of a chair, exercise, garden and remain independent.

And fortunately, there is quite a lot we can do.

First, however, we need to understand something important.

“Joint pain” is a symptom. It is not a diagnosis.

Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, an old injury, bursitis, tendon problems and other conditions can all produce pain around a joint—and they do not necessarily need the same treatment.

If you are not sure what is causing yours, begin with my guide to Joint Pain After 50: What’s Normal, What’s Not & When to Get Help.

Then we can talk sensibly about relief.

The quick answer: What actually helps joint pain after 50?

There is rarely one magic remedy.

For many common joint problems, the useful foundations are surprisingly unglamorous:

• keep moving appropriately
• strengthen the muscles supporting the joint
• build activity gradually
• use heat or cold when useful
• get physiotherapy if you need help with movement
• manage excess weight where that genuinely applies
• use medicines appropriately rather than indiscriminately
• sleep and recover properly
• and treat complementary therapies as complementary, rather than expecting one remedy to fix everything.

And if your joint is hot, very swollen, suddenly extremely painful or simply behaving in a way that worries you, get it assessed rather than endlessly treating it yourself.

Now let’s look at the options properly.

1. Please don’t stop moving simply because your joints hurt

This is probably the most important point in the entire article.

Pain makes us cautious. That is sometimes sensible. If you have just injured your ankle, nobody is suggesting you immediately go hiking.

But there is a big difference between temporary sensible rest and gradually turning yourself into a sedentary person because one or two joints complain.

For osteoarthritis in particular, therapeutic exercise is considered a fundamental part of management. And yes, this surprises people.

You may start exercising and think:

“It hurts when I move. How can movement possibly be good for it?”

Because joints don’t function by themselves. They are surrounded by muscles, tendons and other tissues that help you move, absorb load and stay stable.

If those muscles become weaker because you have stopped using them, everyday activities can actually become more difficult.

That does not mean pushing through severe pain. It means finding movement your body can tolerate and building from there.

• Perhaps today that is ten minutes of walking.
• Perhaps five minutes on a stationary bicycle.
• Perhaps gentle water exercise.
• Perhaps simple chair-based movements.
• Perhaps your starting point is much further along.

There is no gold medal for beginning at the hardest level.

If you want a practical exercise guide, read my guide on Exercises for Joint Pain After 50: How to Move Without Making It Worse.

Think progress—not punishment.

2. Build strength around the joint

I increasingly think strength is one of the most under-appreciated health assets women can carry into their sixties and seventies.

Strong muscles don’t merely make your arms look toned.

They help you:

• rise from a chair
• climb stairs
• carry bags
• control your knees and hips
• steady yourself
• absorb load
• and continue moving independently.

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If your knees hurt, for example, we shouldn’t think only about “the knee”.

Your thighs, hamstrings, hips, buttocks and calves all help control the way you walk and move.

The same principle applies elsewhere in the body.

That is why I don’t want women over 50 frightened away from resistance training.

You don’t have to become a bodybuilder.

You can use:

• resistance bands
• light dumbbells
• controlled sit-to-stands
• calf raises
• wall push-ups
• suitable gym equipment
• or your own body weight.

Start at the level your body can manage now.

Not the level you managed at 25. And not the level the woman beside you on Instagram manages.

Your job is to make your body a little stronger.

My fuller guide to Muscle Health After 50: How to Stay Strong, Protect Your Bones & Keep Your Independence explains why this becomes so important as we age.

3. Heat or cold? Use the one that actually helps you

This does not have to become complicated.

A stiff, achy joint may feel wonderful after a warm shower, bath, hot-water bottle or heat pack.

A swollen or irritated joint after activity may feel better with cold.

Try them and pay attention.

If you use an ice or cold pack, wrap it rather than placing ice directly against your skin.

And remember:

Heat and cold can help symptoms. They do not diagnose the cause of your pain.

If you keep needing to ice the same badly swollen joint week after week, perhaps the next step is not buying a larger ice pack.

Perhaps the joint needs proper assessment.

4. Sometimes a physiotherapist is worth more than another bottle of supplements

I say this as a herbalist. I love herbs. I love food. I love helping people use sensible natural approaches.

But sometimes what you really need is somebody knowledgeable to watch you walk, squat, climb a step or move the affected joint.

• A physiotherapist may notice something you cannot see yourself.
• Perhaps you have lost strength.
• Perhaps you are guarding one side of your body.
• Perhaps your range of movement has changed.
• Perhaps you need a particular progression of exercises rather than ten random stretches from YouTube.

Occupational therapists can also help when pain is interfering with ordinary life—cooking, dressing, working, bathing or getting around your home.

And if a walking aid temporarily allows you to move more safely and confidently, that is not failure.

The objective is always the same:

Keep doing as much for yourself as you reasonably can.

5. What about weight loss for joint pain?

We need some common sense here.

If a woman is carrying significant excess body weight and has painful knee or hip osteoarthritis, reducing some of that excess can improve pain and function. That is worth knowing.

But the internet has a dreadful habit of turning every health problem after 50 into: “Lose weight.”

Not every woman with joint pain needs to become thinner. And after 50 we need to become much more intelligent about what we lose.

I do not want you losing precious muscle and calling that success because your bathroom scales showed a smaller number.

If weight loss is appropriate, the better goal is: Reduce excess body fat while protecting muscle, bone and nourishment.

That is a completely different objective from simply eating less and becoming smaller.

And if you are already lean, please don’t assume losing another five kilograms will somehow cure your joints.

Your body needs enough nourishment and muscle to support them.

6. Painkillers, gels and medicines have a place—but know what they are doing

Sometimes you need pain relief. There is nothing virtuous about being in unnecessary pain.

For osteoarthritis, topical anti-inflammatory medicines can be useful, particularly for knees, and oral anti-inflammatory medicines may sometimes be appropriate.

But medicines need context. Your age, other medications, stomach health, kidneys, liver and cardiovascular health can all influence what is appropriate for you.

So please don’t think:

“It’s sold without a prescription, therefore I can use as much as I like.”

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor when you are unsure.

And remember something else that is very important:

Reducing pain is not always the same as treating the disease causing the pain.

This particularly matters with inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis can damage joints if inadequately treated. Disease-modifying medicines are used not simply to dull the pain, but to control the inflammatory disease itself.

So if you have prolonged morning stiffness, swelling, warmth, several affected joints or symptoms suggesting inflammatory arthritis, don’t try to manage the whole thing indefinitely with turmeric tea and optimism.

Get it properly investigated.

For osteoarthritis specifically, you may also find my guide to Osteoarthritis After 50: Symptoms, Diagnosis & How to Manage It useful.

7. What about steroid injections—or eventually surgery?

Sometimes pain continues despite exercise, physiotherapy and simpler treatments. A clinician may then discuss other options.

Steroid injections into a joint can provide short-term relief for some people with osteoarthritis. They are not a permanent repair, but in selected circumstances that temporary reduction in pain may help someone move and exercise more comfortably.

And yes, sometimes joint replacement is the appropriate answer.

I don’t believe we should rush into surgery. But I equally don’t believe someone should endure years of severe disability because they think needing a hip or knee replacement somehow means they “failed” at natural health.

If pain and loss of function are seriously limiting your life despite appropriate non-surgical treatment, specialist assessment may be entirely reasonable.

Good healthcare is not about proving loyalty to one philosophy. It is about using the right tool for the right problem.

8. Acupuncture: Useful for some, magic for none

This is an interesting one because different professional guidelines interpret the evidence differently.

Some research suggests that acupuncture can produce modest pain relief for some people with osteoarthritis.

UK NICE guidance, however, does not recommend acupuncture or dry needling specifically for osteoarthritis. So where does that leave us?

Somewhere sensible in the middle.

If you enjoy acupuncture, receive it from a properly qualified practitioner and feel that it helps you, I have no objection to it forming part of your wider approach.

But I would not use acupuncture instead of appropriate exercise, strength work, diagnosis or necessary medical care.

Complementary means exactly that. It complements.

9. Tai Chi may be more useful than it looks

If you have ever watched a group of people practising tai chi in a park, it can look almost too gentle to count as exercise. Don’t underestimate it.

Tai chi combines controlled movement, balance, coordination, concentration and breathing.

For women moving into their sixties and seventies, balance becomes especially interesting because falling becomes more consequential when bone strength also declines.

And tai chi has evidence for improving symptoms and physical function in people with some forms of osteoarthritis.

Yoga can also be useful for strength, flexibility and body awareness. But—and this is important—you do not have to twist yourself into a human pretzel. Modify. Use props. Avoid positions that clearly aggravate your particular problem.

One woman’s perfectly comfortable yoga pose can be another woman’s unhappy knee.

For the bigger picture, see How to Stay Active After 50: Strength, Balance, Mobility & Independence.

10. Massage: Lovely? Often. A cure for arthritis? No.

I happen to think a good massage can be marvellous.

• It may help you relax.
• It may reduce muscle tension.
• It may make movement feel easier.
• When chronic pain has caused you to tense everything around the painful area, that can feel enormously welcome.

But we need to separate: “This makes me feel better”

from “This has repaired the arthritis inside my joint.”

Those are not the same claim.

Use massage for what it is good at. Don’t expect the therapist to massage osteoarthritis out of your knee.

And please don’t vigorously massage a joint that is hot, acutely swollen, injured or unexplained.

11. Reiki, meditation and the mind-body side of pain

Health Sifu has never been a place where I want to pretend the mind doesn’t matter.

It matters enormously.

• Pain affects mood.
• Poor sleep affects pain.
• Stress affects muscular tension.
• Fear can make us avoid movement.
• Living with pain month after month can change how we think about our bodies.

Meditation, relaxation, breathing practices and other mind-body approaches may therefore have a useful role in helping us cope with chronic pain.

Reiki is a little different. Some people find Reiki deeply relaxing or spiritually meaningful. If you enjoy it for that reason, wonderful.

But current scientific evidence has not established Reiki as a treatment that heals arthritis or repairs painful joints.

I think we can comfortably hold both ideas at once:
You may value an experience personally without needing to turn it into a medical claim.

12. What about turmeric, ginger, glucosamine and other “natural” joint remedies?

Ah yes.

Now we arrive at the supplement cupboard. You could probably fill an entire kitchen cabinet with products marketed for joint pain.

Some may be useful. Some may not. And some cost a great deal more than the evidence behind them deserves.

Turmeric and Curcumin

Turmeric is particularly interesting because it has a long traditional history and some research on osteoarthritis has produced promising results.

But supplements vary enormously.

A turmeric spice in your curry and a highly concentrated curcumin supplement designed for enhanced absorption are not remotely the same thing.

And concentrated supplements are not automatically harmless simply because the raw material came from a plant.

As a herbalist, I think this distinction matters enormously.

Natural is not another word for risk-free.

Ginger

Ginger is another lovely traditional herb and a very useful food.

Research into ginger supplements for osteoarthritis has produced mixed results, however, and the evidence is not strong enough for me to promise you that a ginger capsule will solve your aching knee.

Enjoy ginger as food if it suits you. Treat concentrated supplements as supplements—not kitchen spices in tablet form.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin

These have been sold for joints for years.

The difficulty is that research results have been inconsistent, and there is still uncertainty about whether they produce a meaningful improvement for most people with osteoarthritis.

NICE does not recommend glucosamine for osteoarthritis because there is no strong evidence of benefit.

So before you spend £40, £50 or £100 every month building an enormous joint-supplement routine, ask: Have I already dealt with the basics?

• Do I know what is causing the pain?
• Am I moving?
• Am I strong enough?
• Am I sleeping?
• Is my diet nourishing me?
• Am I carrying excess weight that genuinely needs addressing?
• Have I had persistent symptoms properly assessed?

Supplements belong after good foundations—not instead of them.

13. Sleep and stress can change the way pain feels

This does not mean your joint pain is “all in your head”. I dislike that phrase because it misunderstands pain.

Pain is produced through an extraordinarily complex interaction between tissues, nerves, brain, previous experience, sleep, stress, emotions and behaviour.

If you have ever noticed that everything hurts more after three terrible nights of sleep, you already understand this at a practical level.

• Pain can disturb sleep.
• Poor sleep can make pain harder to tolerate.
• Pain can create anxiety.
• Anxiety can make you tense and hyper-aware of every sensation.
• Then you stop moving because you are afraid.

And the circle continues.

So yes, your physical joint matters. And so do sleep, stress and confidence.

We don’t need to choose between “body” and “mind”. You brought both of them with you.

When joint pain needs medical attention

Please don’t label everything after 50 as:

“Oh well, I’m getting old.”

Joint pain deserves medical assessment when it is persistent, worsening, repeatedly returning, disturbing your sleep or interfering substantially with ordinary life.

And some symptoms deserve prompt attention.

In particular, seek appropriate medical help if you develop:

• a hot, markedly swollen joint
• joint pain accompanied by fever or feeling generally unwell
• very severe pain following an injury
• inability to walk or bear weight
• an obviously displaced or deformed joint
• numbness or loss of sensation after an injury
• rapidly worsening symptoms
• or prolonged morning stiffness and swelling that could suggest inflammatory arthritis.

Do not spend three months rubbing turmeric cream onto a hot swollen joint while wondering whether it might eventually disappear.

Sometimes the smartest natural-health decision is: See the doctor.

So what would I do first?

If your joint pain is persistent rather than a temporary little twinge, I would approach it in this order.

1. Find out what you are dealing with

Don’t assume every painful joint is osteoarthritis.

2. Keep moving

Modify rather than automatically abandoning activity.

3. Become stronger

Strong muscles are part of your joint-protection strategy.

4. Use simple symptom relief where helpful

Heat, cold, appropriate medication or professional therapies may all have a place.

5. Look at your whole body

Weight, muscle, sleep, nourishment and stress all influence how well you function.

6. Add complementary approaches intelligently

Acupuncture, massage, tai chi, herbs or supplements may sit around the foundations. They are not the foundations themselves.

And if knees are your particular problem, read How to Take Care of Your Knees After 50: 9 Practical Ways to Stay Strong & Mobile.

Joint pain relief is really about keeping your life

This is the part I don’t want us to lose in all the discussion about NSAIDs, turmeric and physiotherapy.

Why do we actually care whether our joints work?

• Because we have things to do.
• Places to go.
• People to see.
• Flights to catch.
• Shopping to carry.
• Stairs to climb.
• Gardens to enjoy.
• Grandchildren to chase.
• New cities to walk through.
• Lives we are not remotely finished living.

So yes, let’s relieve the pain where we can.

But the bigger objective is: Keep your world large.

Your joints are part of the body that must carry you into your next chapter.

• Look after them.
• Strengthen the body around them.
• Listen when something genuinely isn’t right.
• Keep moving towards the life you still intend to live.

That is very much part of Building Your Next 20 Years™.

Health Sifu Note

This article is for general health education and is not a diagnosis or personal treatment plan. Joint pain can have many different causes, and treatment appropriate for osteoarthritis may not be appropriate for inflammatory arthritis, infection, injury or another condition.

If pain is severe, persistent, worsening or unexplained—or if a joint is hot, markedly swollen or accompanied by fever or feeling unwell—seek appropriate medical assessment.

Speak with your doctor or pharmacist before using medicines or concentrated herbal or nutritional supplements if you take prescription medicines or have other health conditions.

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Scientific references & further reading

1. NICE — Osteoarthritis in over 16s: Diagnosis and Management (NG226)
Therapeutic exercise, weight management where appropriate, topical/oral NSAIDs, injections, walking aids and joint-replacement referral. NICE NG226 — Osteoarthritis recommendations

2. NHS — Osteoarthritis: Treatment and Support
Exercise, medicines, heat/cold, physiotherapy, assistive devices and other treatment options. NHS — Osteoarthritis treatment and support

3. NHS — Joint Pain
Causes of joint pain, self-care and red-flag symptoms requiring medical assessment. NHS — Joint pain guidance

4. NHS — Rheumatoid Arthritis: Treatment
Disease-modifying treatment and the importance of controlling inflammatory disease rather than relying upon pain relief alone. NHS — Rheumatoid arthritis treatment

5. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — Osteoarthritis
Evidence covering tai chi, acupuncture, massage, glucosamine, chondroitin and other complementary approaches. NCCIH — Osteoarthritis: In Depth

6. NCCIH — Turmeric
Current evidence and safety information on turmeric and curcumin supplements. NCCIH — Turmeric: Usefulness and Safety

7. NCCIH — Ginger
Current evidence and safety information, including the limited evidence for knee osteoarthritis. NCCIH — Ginger: Usefulness and Safety

8. NCCIH — Reiki
Current assessment of evidence and safety. NCCIH — Reiki

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