Dr. Huberman, Thank you for the lessons and information sharing on your podcast. I replay them multiple times, and I’ve learned so much from your episodes. Have you ever been prescribed steroids for an ailment and realize you feel better all over (aching joints suddenly end) and when your prescription runs out, the initial injury being treated may feel better, but all those aches that disappeared while on steroids returned. Since steroids treat inflammation, if your joints constantly ache and steroids relieve this pain, it must mean you have swelling, without looking swollen. How do you treat this swelling, without steroids? Please help. I went on steroids for pneumonia and noticed my ankles, knees and feet no longer hurt when going up/down stairs. I ended the prescription and I’m back to the awful aching in my legs when using stairs. I don’t look swollen. I’m healthy otherwise. I’m 54. Physically active playing tennis 2-3 days a week and doing hard core yoga that bring the body builders to a heavy sweat. I am considered obese, with BMI 33. I’ve heard other people say they experience the same thing while on steroids. Is there anything we can do thru food, exercise or supplements to reduce swelling in our bodies and live without these aching joints? The ache is not due to arthritis. Thanks for any help! Maria Herrmann

I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. Steroid relief alone doesn’t establish that hidden joint swelling is causing the pain. The material here doesn’t explain why your leg aches improved during pneumonia treatment, and it can’t determine whether inflammation, joint mechanics, or another cause is involved. Persistent pain deserves assessment by a clinician rather than assuming it is swelling or treating it with supplements. 1 2

• Keep moving, but don’t push through worsening pain. In a discussion of injury recovery, Huberman recommends a short daily walk if it doesn’t aggravate the injury; the material also describes muscle contraction as helping lymphatic drainage. These are general recovery ideas, not a diagnosis or a specific treatment for your ankles, knees, and feet. 3 4
• Don’t aim to suppress inflammation indiscriminately. The discussion emphasizes that short-term inflammation can support repair, so it doesn’t follow that reducing inflammation across the body is always beneficial. 5
• Be cautious with supplements. The episodes mention possible pain-related supplements, but also stress that effects and safety depend on context and that supplements can have side effects or contraindications; they don’t establish a supplement or diet protocol for your symptoms. 6

Because your pain has returned and affects stair use, a healthcare professional can evaluate the cause and advise what’s appropriate for you; the transcript material doesn’t provide a reliable way to identify the cause from steroid response or appearance alone.