What is a joint, exactly?
A joint is the connection of two or more bones. Joints can be rigid, such as the joints between your skull's bones, or movable, such as knees, hips, and shoulders. Many joints have cartilage on the ends of the bones where they come together. Healthy cartilage allows bones to glide over one another, allowing you to move. It also protects bones by keeping them from rubbing together.
Keeping your joints in good shape will allow you to run, walk, jump, play sports, and do other things you enjoy. Physical activity, a healthy diet, avoiding injuries, and getting enough sleep will all help you stay healthy and keep your joints healthy.
Some people develop arthritis. The term arthritis is frequently used to describe any disorder affecting the joints. Although you may believe that arthritis only affects the elderly, it can also affect young people. There are numerous types of arthritis:
· Osteoarthritis - The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is more common in older people. The surface cartilage in the joints wears away and breaks down in osteoarthritis, allowing the bones to rub together. This results in joint pain, swelling, and loss of motion. It can be triggered by a joint injury, such as a knee injury that damages the cartilage.
· Rheumatoid arthritis - Classified as an autoimmune disease because the immune system attacks joint tissues as if they were disease-causing germs. This causes joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function. Rheumatoid arthritis patients may also experience fatigue and sickness, as well as fevers. It can cause permanent joint damage and occasionally affects the heart, lungs, or other organs.
· Gout - A type of arthritis caused by uric acid crystal build-up in the joints, most commonly in the big toe. It can be excruciatingly painful. There are several effective gout treatments available that can help to reduce disability and pain.
· Juvenile Arthritis - Arthritis in children. Children can get almost any type of arthritis that adults get, but the most common type is juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
· Other types of arthritis may be linked to diseases such as lupus, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, or infections. Furthermore, other diseases may affect the bones or muscles surrounding a joint, causing problems with that joint.
The Value of Healthy Joints
Your joints are the connections between your bones that allow you to bend your elbows, knees, neck, hips, and other parts of your body. As we age, our joints, like our bones, begin to wear down and cause conditions such as osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that affects more than one-third of adults aged 60 and older. Overuse of a particular joint throughout our lives can also cause pain and restrict movement and flexibility. Our joints can become so worn down that even the most basic movements, such as reaching for a glass on a shelf, can become nearly impossible.
You may be getting older, but that doesn't mean you'll have to live a life of painful movement and limited mobility. It never happens.
Bone strength and joint health
Having healthy joints goes hand in hand with having strong bones. Your joints are only one component of your musculoskeletal system to be concerned with; in fact, the best way to care for your joints is to keep your muscles, ligaments, and bones resilient and stable.
The most important thing you can do for your joints is to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight range for your body type. Obesity is one of the leading causes of osteoarthritis, as our joints have to work much harder when we are overweight. In fact, studies have shown that each extra pound we gain puts four times more strain on our knees. Therefore, knee surgery or total knee replacement is so common in overweight older adults. When you lose weight, the pressure on your joints decreases, as does your risk of osteoarthritis.
Improving Joint Health and Bone Strength to Prevent Osteoarthritis
Begin by making some simple lifestyle changes to your daily routine to alleviate some of the joint pain you're experiencing. These same lifestyle changes, as well as a few others, can help improve bone strength and lower your risk of future pain and injury.
· Daily exercise is recommended. Working out daily will relieve joint pain and aid in the prevention of osteoarthritis, as well as strengthen your bones! While exercising may appear difficult at first if you are already experiencing joint pain, physical activity will reduce your pain over time as inflammation in your joints is reduced.
· Choose healthy snacks and foods. A healthy diet can help you lose weight, and certain foods can even help with joint pain caused by osteoarthritis. Foods like salmon, olive oil, and green tea have been shown to improve joint and heart health.
· Take the appropriate supplements. Your doctor can advise you on supplements that can help relieve joint pain, such as glucosamine and chondroitin. These supplements are still being studied, so consult with your doctor before incorporating them into your joint care routine. If you aren't getting enough calcium or vitamin D in your diet, supplement with these nutrients for strong bones.
Whether you already have osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, lifestyle changes can help improve your overall joint and bone health. Losing weight now can save you from knee surgery and other complications associated with joint degeneration.
Comments