That’s the estimated number of American adults age 25 and over with osteoarthritis, according to A.D.A.M. Online. While joint health may seem like a minor detail in the rush of life, treatment and prevention at a young age can help to decrease later effects on the body.
Prevention, the easiest and most beneficial step, begins with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and a healthy weight. These key ingredients to joint health provide benefits to many other aspects of life as well.
Exercise benefits joint health by supporting bone density, improving muscle strength, and improving joint flexibility.
While prevention is important, it’s also very important to know the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis so individuals are aware if they suffer from it. Symptoms include:
- Aching or stiffness
- Worsening during activity and improving during rest
- Occurring intermittently
- Grating sensation when joint is moved
- Bony growths on the margins of joints
While no wholly curing treatment for osteoarthritis exists, there are treatment options that can reduce pain, improve flexibility and increase overall quality of life. These treatment options include:
- Lifestyle modifications
- Non-drug approaches such as exercise, weight loss, and physical therapy
- Medications
- Surgery
Why does osteoarthritis occur?
Osteoarthritis is generally a slow process that occurs when the cartilage in a joint deteriorates. Cartilage is a slippery tissue that coats the ends of bones, providing a cushion during muscle movement.
In the early stages of deterioration, the surface of cartilage becomes inflamed and swollen. As the joint continues to lose molecules and other tissues, it starts to lose water. Eventually, fissures and pits appear in the cartilage. Further progression leads to further loss of cartilage. With the individual still using the joint(s) everyday, increased damage and injury occur. Eventually, with large amounts of cartilage destroyed, bone ends leave the joint unprotected and injury occurs more rapidly.
Am I at risk?
There are lots of risk factors that can affect the 27 million Americans living with osteoarthritis. These include:
- Age: While the disease can affect anyone, it rarely occurs in individuals younger than 40.
- Gender: When the disease does occur in individuals younger than 45, it occurs more frequently in men. After 45, it develops more often in women. Research suggests that women may feel greater muscle and joint pain than men.
- Obesity: Obesity is defined as being 20% over one’s healthy weight. Because of increased weight on the joints, obesity places individuals, particularly women, at a higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.
- Work/Leisure Factors: Work and leisure that pose increased stress on joints and muscles present risks for developing osteoarthritis. These include repeated stressful motions, such as lifting, climbing, or carrying heavy objects.
Changing Your Risk Factors for the Better
Options are available to reduce your risk of osteoarthritis starting today. The first is considering an occupational change, if your job poses added risk to joint deterioration. People in occupations with repetitive and stressful movement should try to reduce the trauma by adjusting work areas, substituting tasks, and reducing overall wear on joints. Exercise is another important step to reducing your risk factors. Moving joints equal healthy joints, and prolonged periods of inactivity cause the arthritic joint to stiffen and adjoining tissue to waste away; a process called atrophy. Moderate exercise with low-impact aerobics helps to reduce stiffness, increase flexibility, promote weight loss, and improve overall strength. Improving strength leads to increases in balance and endurance, which can both assist in the reduction of osteoarthritis.
Three types of exercise are best for those with osteoarthritis:
- Strengthening exercise
- Range-of-motion exercise
- Aerobic, or endurance, exercise
Weight reduction is of significant benefit for those who are obese or overweight. An in-depth report on weight loss and diet showed that losing 5 lbs. of weight can eliminate 20 lbs. of stress on the knees. This happens because knees sustain 3 to 5 times your body’s weight when descending stairs or other declines.
Heat and ice treatments are an option for those experiencing inflamed joints. Ice can be applied when a joint is inflamed for 20-30 minutes to reduce swelling. Heat treatments, such as lying in a bath or applying a heat pad, can also help to reduce stiffness and pain. Further options include mechanical aids, pain management, herbs and dietary supplements, and acupuncture. A range of options are available to assist in reducing the impact of osteoarthritis on your everyday health.
For more health and wellness information, visit our complete online health library.
No comments:
Post a Comment