Could there be a connection between hypothyroidism and your joint pain? Yes — but certain activities and therapies may help ease the pain.
Your thyroid gland secretes hormones that control metabolism, the body’s way of converting the food you eat into fuel, according to You and Your Hormones, an educational resource from the Society for Endocrinology. People with hypothyroidism have an underactive thyroid, which means less of those metabolism-controlling hormones, notes the Mayo Clinic. “Any disturbance in the way you burn energy can affect how your muscles feel,” says Richard Harrell, MD, a specialist in interventional and imaging endocrinology at Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida.
People with advanced hypothyroidism may find that fluid builds in joints as their metabolism slows — and that causes swelling that, the Mayo Clinic points out, can lead to pain. Also, joint pain commonly can occur in people with poorly managed hypothyroidism, which makes it all the more important to ensure your thyroid hormone dose is optimal.
In the meantime, these steps may help you decrease that shoulder or knee pain that’s keeping you down.
6 Common Questions About Hypothyroidism
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Investigate Other Sources of Joint Pain, Such as Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hypothyroidism most commonly occurs when your immune system mistakes your thyroid for an enemy and interferes with its ability to make the proper amount of thyroid hormone, according to the Mayo Clinic. Similarly, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes your immune system to go off track — your body attacks your joints and connective tissue, causing them to swell and be painful, notes the NHS.
Doctors aren’t sure why, but if you have either of these autoimmune disorders, you’re more susceptible to the other, according to research. It can be difficult to tell if one or both are causing your joint pain. “We can fix hypothyroidism with the proper dose of hormone,” Dr. Harrell says. And different treatments are available for RA. Either way, finding the cause and a proper treatment for your pain is the first step to feeling better.
Step Up to Low-Impact Aerobics to Help Ease Pain in Your Joints
Exercise is important for everyone’s health, but people with hypothyroidism may not be able to tolerate high-intensity exercise. After one year of treatment with thyroid hormones, individuals in one study weren’t able to power through an intense workout. Yet another study found that men whose hypothyroidism was controlled saw better thyroid function and lost weight after one hour of exercise. In a nutshell, you may or may not be able to handle a tough sweat sesh, regardless of how well your thyroid level is controlled.
Thus, it’s best to work with your healthcare team before beginning low-intensity exercise, says Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDE, a certified personal trainer based in Prescott, Arizona. For her clients with hypothyroidism, Grieger recommends starting slowly and gradually adding aerobic exercise, like walking, riding a bike, or swimming in the pool, as these exercises are considered low-impact and will be light on the joints.
As for frequency, she points her clients to the federal physical activity guidelines for adults, which call for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, ideally spread across every day. “These guidelines include recommendations for people with chronic illness, such as hypothyroidism, that basically encourage each person to do the type and amount of physical activity that they are able to do, even if it doesn’t meet the recommended amounts,” Grieger says. “Simply put, some exercise is preferable to no exercise.”
Strengthen Your Muscles to Help Rev Weight Loss, Easing Joint Pain
Equally important is strength training, because stronger muscles also directly help protect nearby joints, not to mention improve your balance, control your weight, and maintain bone strength, notes the Mayo Clinic.
For example, strengthening exercises, such as squats, lunges, and leg lifts, develop the muscles that support the knees. If you’re new to this type of exercise, start slow with 15 repetitions of each move, says Igor Klibanov, founder of Fitness Solutions Plus and author of Unlimited Progress: How You Can Unlock Your Body’s Potential. Then, build up to three sets of 15 reps each.
For strength training frequency, Grieger also points her clients to the aforementioned guidelines, which recommend performing these exercises as much as you can, but ideally at least two days per week. Try to ensure that the exercises activate all major muscle groups.
Get Enough Sleep to Avoid Weight Gain That Can Further Stress Your Joints
“Sleep is the time for muscles and joints to recover,” Klibanov says. “If you’re not sleeping well, you’re not recovering as fast as you could be.” What’s more, one article notes that when you’re sleep-deprived, changes in hormones that control hunger and fullness — leptin and ghrelin, respectively — can lead you to overeat and cause weight gain. Harvard Health Publishing points out that extra weight can add stress to your joints, triggering or exacerbating joint pain. Aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night, the Sleep Foundation recommends.
Stick to a Healthy Diet to Further Support a Healthy Weight
As mentioned, being overweight can worsen joint pain. So making sure your diet is in tip-top shape is an important part of your hypothyroidism management plan. For people with hypothyroidism — or any autoimmune disease, for that matter — relying on foods that fight inflammation is especially critical, noted a review of research.
It’s best to work with a registered dietitian to build a healthy hypothyroidism diet, but the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics notes that antioxidants — substances that help fight inflammation — come in many forms, such as: vitamin C–rich strawberries and citrus; high–vitamin E foods, like nuts and seeds; and carotenoid sources, such as sweet potatoes and broccoli.
But do note that some anti-inflammatory foods, including walnuts, may need to be avoided at the time you take your thyroid medication, cautions the Mayo Clinic.
Practice Yoga to Boost Your Flexibility and Help Relieve Joint Problems
“Yoga helps with balance, postural alignment, and increasing muscle strength — all of which take pressure off joints,” says Amy Eberhardt, MPH, a licensed massage therapist and integrative health specialist in private practice in New York City. “Yoga also helps with relaxation and stress reduction, which helps us let go of clenching and holding tension in the joints, and this can lead to less pain and more flexibility.”
Eberhardt points to a review that detailed research on how yoga can help relieve joint pain. The review noted that moving through yoga poses warms the muscles by increasing blood flow, whereas holding poses builds strength and balance by engaging the muscles. For these reasons, yoga can help protect against falls as well, according to the review.
If you’re new to yoga, know that you have all different types of the practice available to you. A faster-paced hatha or vinyasa class may not be a good fit for you, and if so, that’s okay. “There is a movement now in the yoga world toward adaptive, therapeutic, and restorative yoga, and many options are now available for people who are older or have medical conditions or are differently abled,” Eberhardt says.
If you decide to take a traditional yoga class and are nervous beforehand, talk to the teacher before class begins, Eberhardt says. “If you have an injury or joint pain, let the instructor know so they can adapt the poses for you and help protect you from injury. A good teacher will be receptive and encouraging and will be happy to offer adaptations and props to support your practice. A good yoga teacher will not push you to do something that doesn’t feel good and will be supportive if you choose to sit out a pose or need to rest.”
When in doubt, keep in mind that yoga is about self-compassion, not competition, Eberhardt adds. “Be kind and gentle with yourself, and remember that while you may stretch deeply, yoga doesn’t hurt. So if it hurts, it is not yoga.”
Don’t Let Fatigue Win
Fatigue is one of the most common hypothyroidism symptoms, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Even though you might feel listless, staying motivated to exercise can help relieve this feeling, along with boosting flexibility and easing joint pain, noted one article. If you’re too exhausted to complete a full exercise routine, break it up into several short bouts — even 10 minutes done three times a day will be effective. Also, stretching and relaxation exercises within two hours of bedtime may help you sleep better, Klibanov says.
RELATED: 8 Ways to Stay Energized When You Have Hypothyroidism
Meditate to Help Reduce the Stress of Managing Hypothyroidism
Having a chronic condition such as hypothyroidism can be stressful and, in certain cases, lead to mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. In one study of 100 people with hypothyroidism, 60 percent reported depressive symptoms, while about 63 percent showed signs of anxiety. Other research has suggested that chronic stress and chronic pain are closely linked in the brain.
That’s why it’s important to find ways to reduce stress, such as practicing mindfulness meditation. This form of meditation teaches you how to distract yourself from what’s bothering you by refocusing your attention, often on your own breathing. One study suggested that mindfulness meditation may help reduce sensitivity to pain. You can get started with meditation by using a meditation app or a video on YouTube, or you can simply begin by closing your eyes and focusing on your breath for five minutes.
Additional reporting by Melinda Carstensen.
Kacy Church, MD
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Church always knew that she wanted to pursue endocrinology because the specialty allows for healthy change through patient empowerment. She completed her fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism in 2017 at Stanford University in California.
She loves running, dancing, and watching her sons play sports.
Beth W. Orenstein
Author
Beth W. Orenstein is a freelance writer for HealthDay, Radiology Today, the Living Well section of The American Legion Magazine, St. Luke’s University Health Network, and others. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University (1978), where she majored in English and was editor of the student newspaper for three years.
No matter the weather around her eastern Pennsylvania home, Orenstein either bikes 25 to 30 miles or walks at least 6 miles every day. Her one indulgence is blueberry pancakes — but only after biking a long distance.