How To Prevent Osteoarthritis l Health Guide l

How to prevent Osteoarthritis

In general, arthritis means problems with the joints. A joint is a place in the body where 2 bones meet. Arthritis may also affect other body tissue near the joints including muscles, tendons, and ligaments. And, in some forms of arthritis, the whole body is involved.

Osteoarthritis (OA) was once consider a disorder in which joints simply wore out - the unavoidable result of a long and active life. But research has shown that OA is a complex process with many causes. Here is what doctors recommend to reduce the risk of OA or delay its onset

Maintain your ideal body weight (IBM)

Excess weight is one of biggest risk factors for OA. It puts stress on your joints, especially your hips, knees, ankles and feet. And, extra fat actually causes changes in the cartilage cells. If you are overweight, talk with your health care provider about safe ways to lose weight.

Control Blood Sugar

Diabetes, which affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, may be a significant risk factor for osteoarthritis. That's because cartilage become stiffer and more sensitive to mechanical stress when glucose levels high. Also diabetes is trigger systemic inflammation that leads to cartilage loss.

Daily Physical Activity

Physical activity is the best way to prevent osteoarthritis(OA). It's help you keep your join healthy. Do exercise 30 minutes a day and 5 time a weeks help your joints stay limber and strengthens the muscles that support and stabilize your hips, knees, ankles and feet. Also it  can help control your blood sugar level and maintain your ideal body weight (IBM).

The question is what type of exercise should you choose?

You can choose any type of exercise. Just listen to your body. If you have pain after workout, do less next time and take more breaks. And remember to avoid injury.

Stay Safe

Your joint cartilage doesn't heal, so joint injuries like fracture, dislocation, even ligament tears and strain will increase your risk of getting OA. 50 percent of people with OA had experience with traumatic injury.

When you exercise, start slowly and work up to your goal. Each time you exercise, take 5 to 10 minutes to warm up with gentle movements and stretches. This helps to prevent injuries to muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. 

Try to avoid trauma to the joint. If you play sport, wear protective gear such as joint padding for soccer or hockey. 

Think about changing your exercises and activities each day. You will use different parts of your body and help to avoid stressing the same joints every day. If you had injury, try to maintaining a healthy weight can help avoid further joint damage.

Healthy Lifestyle

The best to avoid any disease, including OA, is a healthy lifestyle. How you eat, sleep, exercise, manage stress and interact with other can have influence not just on overall health, but also on the health of your joints.

Taking good care of yourself by keeping a healthy weight and exercising every day helps to prevent joint problems and helps you stay healthy.