If you want to avoid arthritis in the future, it’s important to start preventive measures as early as possible.
However, it’s important that you do everything in your power to avoid possible bone and joint related complications in the future.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is not just a disease. It is a group of painful and degenerative diseases with inflammation in the joints that causes stiffness, pain and limited mobility in a joint.
The signs and symptoms of arthritis can vary. They often include:
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Redness
What Should I Do If Arthritis Symptoms First Appear?
There are a few important ways to prevent or delay the onset of arthritis:
- Cartilage cushions our joints – you want to reduce the wear and tear on that cartilage.
- Arthritis is associated with inflammation – you want to reduce inflammation in your body.
Research has shown that arthritis is more common in people who have certain chronic diseases. You want to prevent these diseases from developing.
- 49% of adults with heart disease have arthritis.
- 47% of adults with diabetes have arthritis.
- 31% of adults who are overweight have arthritis.
These are the specific lifestyle changes you can make today to protect the cartilage of your joints, reduce inflammation, and prevent the development of other diseases associated with arthritis:
Maintain a Healthy Weight and avoid Arthritis
Maintaining a healthy weight by exercising and eating a healthy diet reduces your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and arthritis.
A healthy weight also reduces the pressure on your knees. The more pressure on your knees, the more pressure is put on your cartilage.
Nearly 23% of overweight and 31% of obese Americans have an arthritis diagnosis.
Weight loss of 10% to 20% of baseline weight can help improve pain, quality of life, and function compared to weight loss of 5%.
Importance of Exercise to Prevent Arthritis
Regular exercise is one of the most important strategies to prevent arthritis.
Exercise strengthens the muscles around the joints and helps reduce wear and tear on muscles and joints. Regular exercise also stretches our tendons and ligaments to maintain mobility. Regular exercise keeps the components of our joints lubricated and mobile, helping to reduce pain.
Your exercise programme may include the following low-impact aerobic activities:
- Walking
- Yoga
- Plank exercises
- Biking
- Swimming
If you aren’t yet exercising regularly, start today. Start slowly, get advice from a good trainer, and then increase the pace.
Blood Sugar and Arthritis
More than half of people with diabetes also suffer from arthritis. This is because high blood sugar makes cartilage stiff, making it more susceptible to joint damage.
Diabetes also causes inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to cartilage deterioration.
One reason is that high blood sugar can lead to a constant state of low-grade inflammation in the body. It also contributes to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) – substances that help trigger the production of inflammatory proteins called cytokines in the joints.
Also Read: Refined sugar: Ditch it now!
Take your Injuries seriously!
It is important for those who play sports or train intensively. They usually take their minor injuries rather casually. Although the effects of such injuries may not be immediately visible, they can add up and damage joints in the long run.
So be more careful with any physical activity. Watch your movements to avoid minor (and major) stumbles, scrapes and bruises.
To avoid injury, always warm up before exercising and use proper safety equipment. Wear knee, wrist and elbow pads, as well as comfortable and supportive shoes.
Quit Smoking
Smoking may lead to worsening of arthritis. Smoking may increase the risk of cartilage damage and worsen arthritis. It may reduce the effectiveness of treatment for certain forms of arthritis and increase the risk of complications from surgery.
Smoking can also affect the treatment outcome. People who smoke don’t respond as well to arthritis medications.
People who smoke have an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Get more Ergonomic
Poor posture, especially over a long period of time, puts undue stress on the joints and causes them to wear out more quickly. Healthy alignment of all body joints while standing, sitting and walking can protect them from osteoarthritis.
More ergonomic furnishings in the home and office can prevent strain and pain in joints that are already sore. If you have to sit for long periods at work, make sure your back, legs and arms are well supported.
Follow a healthy and balanced diet
There are a few foods that are very good for your bones and joints.
Omega-3 fatty acids are good. So include more fish like salmon, tuna and herring in your diet. If you’re vegetarian, tofu and soybeans are good sources of healthy fatty acids.
Other foods that are good for arthritis include cherries, low-fat dairy products, broccoli, green tea, citrus fruits, whole grains, beans and nuts.
Avoid excessive salt, sugar, processed and refined foods, and saturated fats, which can promote inflammation in the body.
A dietitian can help you make better food choices, develop healthy habits and maintain them. With a little practice, you can prepare delicious meals of wholesome, healthy foods that can help you feel better, boost energy and prevent arthritis.
Also Read: Ultimate Arthritis diet: Food To Eat And Avoid
See a Doctor
When you first develop arthritis symptoms such as joint pain, stiffness and swelling, you should see a doctor or rheumatologist. The damage caused by arthritis is usually progressive, so the longer you wait to seek treatment, the more the joint may be destroyed.
A doctor may be able to suggest treatments or lifestyle measures that can slow the progression of your arthritis and maintain your mobility. Doctors may recommend medications to relieve pain and slow the progression of arthritis.
Summary
Diet, exercise and smoking are important factors in the prevention of arthritis. You should be careful to keep the joints moving through daily exercise and maintain a moderate weight. Avoiding or working toward quitting smoking is also an important measure to reduce the likelihood of developing arthritis.
If pain occurs in a joint, sufferers should see a doctor. An early treatment plan can prevent or slow joint damage.
