When a knee hurts on the stairs or a shoulder aches during exercise, it can be hard to decide what to keep doing. Staying strong starts with understanding the problem and finding an amount of activity you can tolerate. You do not have to regain fitness or lose weight before seeking help for joint pain.
Start with the painful joint
Age alone does not explain a painful joint. Arthritis, an injury, or a problem in the surrounding tissues may be involved. An examination helps distinguish the possibilities. The practice’s arthritis overview introduces several forms of arthritis, which do not all require the same treatment.
Make an appointment when symptoms interrupt sleep, prevent normal activities, or keep returning. Seek urgent care for a hot, swollen joint, especially with fever or feeling unwell. Severe pain after an injury, inability to bear weight, or a joint that looks out of place warrants emergency assessment. A new injury is not the time to test a harder workout.
Build a manageable starting point
For adults with arthritis, the CDC’s physical activity guidance encourages a mix of aerobic movement and muscle strengthening. Short sessions count. The general goals of 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly and strengthening on at least two days are longer-term targets, not a requirement for your first week.
If you have been inactive or pain is limiting you, discuss a smaller starting amount with your clinician. A short walk or an easy cycling session may be more manageable than a full class. Choose an activity that fits both your symptoms and your daily routine, and increase gradually.
Choose strength work for your situation
Resistance exercises make muscles work against a load, such as a band, a weight, or part of your body weight. The right choice depends on the affected joint, your strength, and any restrictions. A physical therapist can help select movements and adjust the resistance or range of motion.
For knee osteoarthritis specifically, the AAOS treatment guideline supports land-based or water-based exercise over no exercise to improve pain and function. It does not establish one best workout for everyone. That guidance should not be applied automatically to an undiagnosed injury or a recently operated joint.
Adjust the session when symptoms change
Some temporary soreness can occur when beginning exercise for knee osteoarthritis. Sharp or severe pain is not a goal, and worsening symptoms deserve reassessment. If an activity repeatedly leaves you more limited afterward, discuss a change in the exercise, its difficulty, or its duration rather than forcing yourself through the same session.
Keep a short record of the activity, how you felt during it, and how the joint felt later. Note swelling or difficulty with ordinary tasks. This gives your clinician more useful information than simply saying that exercise hurts. Ask what level of discomfort is acceptable for your diagnosis and what should prompt you to stop.
Keep movement and symptom relief connected
The NIH’s osteoarthritis guidance describes a well-rounded plan that can include strength, mobility, balance, and low-impact activity. Appropriate symptom treatment may make movement easier. Depending on the diagnosis and health history, care may also involve medication or an assistive device.
Persistent limitations are a reason to review the treatment plan, not a failure of effort. If substantial arthritis-related pain and disability continue despite appropriate nonsurgical treatment, a discussion of joint replacement options may be appropriate. A consultation helps weigh the choices; it does not obligate you to have surgery.
Make the goal meaningful to you
Choose one everyday task you want to improve, such as getting out of a chair, carrying groceries, or returning to a walk with friends. Bring that goal to the visit. Ask which activities to begin with, what to modify, and when to review progress.
For broader reading on muscle and healthy aging, Dr. Martin’s separate Elite Performance and Age Management practice discusses muscle health and longevity (external website). That information is additional context, not a substitute for assessing a painful joint. EPAM participation is not required for orthopedic care.
Get help planning your next step
If joint pain is limiting exercise in Las Vegas, request an orthopedic appointment. The discussion can focus on the cause of your symptoms and practical ways to support daily movement. Use the website form for non-medical scheduling questions only.
