27 Jan Joint Pain After Lifting Weights: Can Weightlifting Cause Arthritis?
Does weightlifting cause joint pain or can it actually treat your joint problems?
The confusion is real for those who perform resistance training and lift weights too often.
Ideally, weightlifting is a great exercise to not only build muscles but also take care of arthritic joints.
But it is also true that weightlifting can cause joint pain, in some cases.
And arthritis could be one of the long-term effects of weightlifting on joints. It is common among regular weight lifters at the age of 50.
Moreover, arthritis can also be witnessed in young bodybuilders as well if performed inappropriately.
So, does weightlifting cause arthritis? If that’s the case, how to protect joints from weightlifting?
Go through this blog to find out the answers.
Does Weightlifting Cause Arthritis?
Weightlifting is common among gym-goers and those trying to bulk up.
It can be a challenging workout. And although younger people don’t feel any type of pain or discomfort after lifting weights, one must not forget that every person’s body is different.
A lot of adults indulge in bodybuilding which includes lifting heavyweights. They often end up complaining about aches and pains when they age.
Usually, people around 40-50 years who have been lifting weight throughout their life experience some sort of pain and injury.
The most common injury among weightlifters is arthritis.
In fact, nearly 15 million adults in the US live with joint pains associated with arthritis.
Adding to it, if weightlifting does cause arthritis, it largely depends on the way of lifting weights.
The most important thing to keep in mind about arthritis and weightlifting is that inactivity or incorrect performance is more harmful.
Let’s get along with other related questions that may arise.
When Is Weightlifting Bad For Your Joints?
Walking into the gym and merely lifting a barbell or doing a deadlift will not cause you lifelong pain and injury.
Lifting heavy weights itself doesn’t cause you arthritis. But how and when you do it may affect your joints.
Here are some of the factors that tell you when weightlifting is bad for your joints.
#1. When You Weigh More
#2. When You Face an Injury
#3. When You Maintain Incorrect Posture
Let’s discuss these in detail.
#1. When You Weigh More
If you have excess body weight and muscle mass, weight lifting for a longer period can cause pain and discomfort.
In other words, when weightlifters with excess muscle mass weigh a significantly larger amount of weight for a long period of time, they are likely to get joint pain and injuries.
It’s because it adds to the body’s overall weight.
Even the studies also suggest that excess weight can cause osteoarthritis. According to a study, weight gain often leads to an increased rate of knee osteoarthritis, and losing weight can lower its risk.
Furthermore, the study also mentioned that overweight people with osteoarthritis were ineligible for knee and hip surgeries.
The study further concluded that being overweight further increases the risk of osteoarthritis in the knees, hips, and hands.
And lifting weight can only accelerate this process.
So, can lifting weights cause arthritis in the hands too?
Well, the researchers say so. But note that this is only found to be true in the case where obesity was involved.
#2. When You Face An Injury
If weightlifting is the primary exercise in your workout regime, practicing it regularly may land you in some form of accident or another.
Clinical Evidence: According to the study, well-developed muscles can decrease the load on the cartilage and develop a protective effect.
And according to scientific research, injury or joint pain in the body can result in Osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis.
Research done on animals suggested that exercise done with injured joints can result in arthritis.
It can even increase the risk of osteoarthritis. The research further stated that athletic individuals are just better at tolerating it.
The study clearly mentioned that joint injury is the major factor that increases the risk of arthritis.
Plus, another study makes it clear that surviving an injury from physical activity can cause “post-traumatic arthritis”. This happens to occur after decades of injury and currently affects 23% of adults in the US.
#3. When You Maintain Incorrect Posture
Lifting weights with an incorrect body posture can cause you joint pains easily. However, this risk is associated with any sort of exercise.
Moreover, weightlifting with improper posture and using more weight than your body can handle can lead to injury.
So, can weightlifting cause arthritis?
Yes, if done incorrectly.
That is to say, joint pain after lifting weights can happen because of an incorrect way of lifting weights and lack of professional guidance.
With this, another question that surfaces is: does lifting weights make arthritis worse?
Does Lifting Weights Make Arthritis Worse?
NOT ALWAYS!
Weightlifting when you already have joint pains may sound weird. But some muscle-building exercises are good for managing arthritis.
If done properly, weightlifting can be good for your arthritis.
To elaborate, weightlifting exercises can help strengthen your muscles including those around your joints.
As muscle weakness is common among those dealing with osteoarthritis, this can be beneficial.
Moreover, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2022, strength training was beneficial in building lean muscle mass in older adults with osteoarthritis.
Weightlifting exercises keep your muscles strong and don’t worsen arthritis if done properly.
How Can Weightlifting Benefit Your Joints?
Amidst all that we have discussed, don’t forget that weightlifting exercises are a boon for your muscles and joints.
Even though many may agree to disagree, strength training has proven its benefits on joints and has increased the strength of those with arthritis.
According to reviews on numerous studies performed on older adults dealing with osteoarthritis, it was found that strength training reduced the pain of the participants by 35% and increased the strength and function of their lower limbs by 33%.
Here’s how weightlifting helps your arthritis and benefits your joints:
#1. Improves Balance
#2. Helps Maintain Healthy Weight
#3. Eases Joint Pain And Stiffness
#4. Boosts Bone Strength
Let’s discuss these points in detail.
#1. Weightlifting Can Improve Your Balance
Lifting weight can help you with your balance.
It strengthens your core, enhances coordination, and prevents falling.
Adding to it, if you have arthritis, weightlifting can make it easier for you to perform daily chores.
#2. Weightlifting Can Help Maintain A Healthy Weight
It has already been stated in research that obesity or being overweight can add to your arthritis issues.
To be honest, it can even make the situation worse.
Excess body weight puts more pressure on the joints, particularly knees, and decreases mobilization.
Hence, reducing weight or maintaining correct body weight can help reduce arthritis, and weightlifting exercises can be of great help.
#3. Lifting Weights Can Ease Joint Pain And Stiffness
Weightlifting can increase the mobility of your joints and reduce their stiffness.
According to research published in Rheumatology, it was found that strengthening the muscles around the affected joints not only eased the pain but also improvised the functioning of the joints in osteoarthritis patients.
According to another study, patients who did strength training every day for two weeks showed improvement in their muscle strength by 59% and also witnessed a reduction in muscle pain, morning soreness, and inflammation.
#4. Weightlifting Boosts Bone Strength
Lack of mobility due to joint pain weakens the bone and increases the chances of fracture.
Notably, women are more affected by it.
However, stressing your bones gently, step by step can undoubtedly make your bones stronger and can reduce the risk of arthritis.
For this, one can start weightlifting with less weight and can gradually increase it.
Now that you know about the long-term effects of weightlifting on joints and how it benefits arthritis, let’s find out how to perform weightlifting to protect joints.
How To Protect Joints When Weightlifting? – Safety Tips
Now you know how does weightlifting cause arthritis and other joint problems. But on the contrary, you also know that lifting weights can help in treating the effects of arthritis.
So, if you’ve arthritis and want to start a weight training program, you must remember some safety tips.
Here are some of the precautionary measures to keep in mind if you want to lift weights and also have arthritis.
#1. Choose the right weight to challenge your muscles. Realize your body’s potential and avoid straining it excessively.
#2. Consider the type of weight equipment carefully to improve body balance and strength.
#3. Make a slow start. That is to say, increase the number of reps and weight lifted gradually.
#4. Increase your warm-up and cool-down time. While a proper warm-up can help prepare your muscles for the intense workout, a nice cool-down can help repair the muscles.
#5. Stay hydrated. Yes, staying hydrated provides your muscles with enough oxygen and helps them recover from all the stress and sweating.
#6. Move as gently as you can. In the rage to build muscles and increase strength, people often forget to make gentle moves and end up straining their muscles.
#7. Stay active and perform a little exercise every day. You can do some stretching to warm up the muscles and keep the pain at bay.
#8. Maintain proper body posture while lifting weights to avoid any joint pain and injury.
#9. It is important to alternate between weightlifting and non-weightlifting exercises to create a balance and reduce muscle strain.
#10. Wear appropriate and comfortable clothes and shoes for better performance.
On a closing note, yes, weightlifting does cause arthritis…But it can also benefit your joints.
If you perform it with care and keep in mind the precautionary tips, it can be of a lot of help in minimizing the long-term effects of heavy lifting including arthritis.
Final Thoughts
Considering the studies and research performed over the years, it can be concluded that performing weightlifting can minimize the symptoms of arthritis.
But does weightlifting cause arthritis or not majorly depends on how well or carelessly you perform it.
As stated above, being negligent towards the weights you are lifting, maintaining improper posture, and ignoring the injury can all lead to the complications of arthritis and osteoarthritis.
So, does that mean you should avoid lifting weights altogether?
Well, if you are into muscle-building and weightlifting, it might not be as easy as you think.
You can perform it with all the precautions rather than ignoring your favorite sport.
In one sentence: Consider all the precautions of weightlifting, and you’re good to go.
Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed the blog. Don’t forget to share it with your bodybuilder friend.
I look forward to discussing your thoughts in the comments section.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
No Comments