Lifestyle and Osteoarthritis- “Stand tall, speak out for your bones”

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of joint disease worldwide. Women are more predisposed to this condition than men, especially after menopause. It is the leading cause of chronic disability in adults.

WHAT IS OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA)?

It is a disease that affects the various joints in our body most commonly knee, hips, hands, and ankles. Normally cartilage covers the joints between bones, protecting the lining of the joint and help in mobility. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage starts to wear out, causing a lot of pain and swelling in the affected joint area and limit the movement.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease with slow progression from dull achy pain to complete disability.

 

1. Pain: It presents with deep pain in the joint, which increases on extensive use of that particular joint. Initially, the pain is relieved by rest & may respond to over the counter analgesics. Over time, when osteoarthritis progresses the joints become unstable, pain becomes more prominent, even during rest.  
2. Limited movement: Due to the broken cartilage the joint becomes unstable and the range of movement of that particular joint is limited.
3. The stiffness of joints, more commonly in the mornings, but for less than 30 mins, establishes a diagnosis of OA

CAN LIFESTYLE FACTORS INFLUENCE OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA)-

LOVE YOUR BONES, PROTECT YOUR FUTURE

 

Arthritis is not just a problem with the joint, It’s the sleepless nights, chronic fatigue, the depression, the struggle to walk & exercise. Maintaining a healthy BMI is the #1 management strategy. Keeping active & losing weight are just two of the way that can fight OA.

The goals of Osteoarthritis treatment is relief from pain & improving the mobility. Making certain lifestyle changes can help you improve your joint health

• Diet modification:

A healthy balanced diet helps in maintaining body weight and helps prevent obesity, which is a primary risk factor for OA.

• Weight management:

Excess weight is one of the biggest risk factors for OA, as it puts extra stress on the affected knees or hips and speeds up the deterioration of joint cartilage. Losing weight can help improve the symptoms.

• Exercise:

Exercise is an effective treatment for OA producing improvement in pain and mobility. It effectively strengthens muscles around the joints, reduces pain, fatigue & relieving stiffness. Low impact exercises improve joint health. Mostly stretching and aerobic exercises.

• Texting:

Use of devices like smartphones and I pads by young adults or children, which were not designed for them, whose bones and joints are still developing.

• High heels used by women:

As heel height increases, it causes compression on the inside of the knee, predisposing to knee OA later in life. Save your heels for a special occasion, save your knees.

Injuries to these structures early in childhood precipitates the development of Osteoarthritis in those joints later in life.

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