One of the most demoralizing situations for athletes is when they suffer from chronic joint pain. The severity of the pain will determine how it will impact their sports activities and life.

A frequent cause of chronic joint pain is an old injury, such as a strain, sprain or dislocation. In these injuries, the supporting soft tissue structures are stretched, torn or disrupted.

Another cause can be structural abnormality because of a congenital defect, which can include abnormally shaped joints or a short leg.

The tissues that support the joints are the tendons that attach muscle to bone, ligaments that hold bones to each other, and cartilage that keeps bones from rubbing.

If the joints become overly stressed from injury or defect, osteoarthritis can develop. Another name for osteoarthritis is degenerative joint disease. This is when the cartilage starts to wear away prematurely.

The joint can become inflamed, swollen and painful. The patient’s range of motion of the joint also can become restricted. Bearing weight on the joint can become difficult when trying to run or walk.

Strategies for chronic joint pain are challenging. If the joint has degenerated to the point bone is rubbing against bone, joint replacement surgery may be necessary. This is where I will refer my patients to an orthopedic surgeon.

One patient was referred to my office by her physician. She was an avid tennis player and skier and lived a very active life.

She had hip pain that affected her daily activities. Our evaluation found osteoarthritis.

She wanted to postpone a hip replacement as long as possible. We were able to keep her on the tennis court for almost two years before she had the joint successfully replaced.

Many patients think the easy way to deal with chronic pain is to pop a few pills. Our society is so used to quick fixes, and many have been led to believe this is the easy way to pain relief.

Prescription and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen help reduce pain and inflammation but are designed to be used for a short time, and long-term use can be very dangerous.

Each year, 30,000 deaths occur from gastrointestinal bleeding. If you have high blood pressure, taking these drugs increases your risk of heart attack or stroke, and your liver and kidneys are at risk of damage from prolonged use.

Remember, most of the over-the-counter drugs were once prescription drugs and have significant side effects.

Many of my patients seeking care are in the early or moderate stages of osteoarthritis and chronic pain. They are looking for ways to manage their chronic pain without the use of drugs and surgery.

My advice is to exercise. Many patients will complain it is uncomfortable to exercise. High-impact exercises must be modified or avoided and replaced with swimming, yoga, cycling, Qigong, dancing and walking.

Exercise will increase your metabolism, build strength, increase your flexibility and reduce inflammation.

I also want my patients to have excellent structural alignment and to control their weight. Studies have shown the risk of knee osteoarthritis doubles with obesity.

We ask patients to reduce the use of processed foods and sugars, which have been shown to increase inflammation.

This strategy will help keep joints functioning a lifetime.

Dr. Robert Lynch is a former president of the Maine Chiropractic Association and head of the Lynch Chiropractic Center in South Portland. “Staying in the Game” appears every other Thursday in the Press Herald.