Arthritis is a common condition that affects many people everyday, causing joint pain and stiffness. Unfortunately, there are many myths surrounding arthritis that can lead to misconceptions and wrong approaches to how to treat it. It is important to understand the truth behind some of these myths in order to get the right treatment for your condition.
It is important to exercise during wintertime, whether osteoarthritis is present or not. Not only because it makes you warm, but it can help boosts the immune system to fight seasonal flus & colds. The most important component of an exercise program is finding something you enjoy. If you’re having fun, it’ll be more likely for you to stick with it. Read 7 of the best ideas to keep your joints healthy, loose and strong all winter long.
Osteoarthritis is not a disease, but rather a chronic condition that can cause the cartilage of the bones in a joint to lose their cartilage. It may, therefore; be more accurate to refer to osteoarthritis as a symptom or complication of another condition. The most common causes of osteoarthritis are aging, obesity, repetitive use injuries, or a family history of osteoarthritis.
Approximately 25% of adults will have knee pain at some point in their life. The pain may be from an injury, like a fall or a twisting movement. The pain could also develop slowly over time from changes in muscle strength, ligament stability, or the movement of the patella (kneecap) as the knee bends and straightens. Most of us will wait out the pain, hoping it goes away on its own with a little rest, a little medication, and a little icing. X-rays can detect bone fractures, bone alignment with other bones, certain tumors and other abnormal masses, pneumonia, some types of injuries, calcifications, and foreign objects.
Osteoporosis is a progressive loss of bone density that occurs mainly as we age but also can be due to many systemic or disease processes within our bodies. Most reach peak bone density by 30 years old, where the body’s ability to replace bone cells equals the body’s depletion (breakdown) of bone cells. After age 30, bone remodeling continues, but you lose slightly more bone mass than you gain. Once the cycle is uneven long enough or bone depletes to a certain level, osteopenia can be diagnosed.
When you were told you had arthritis – did you instinctively think – “I’m going to be in pain forever.”
You’re not alone. A lot of people feel this way.
In truth, many times the pain you feel isn’t because of arthritis, it’s because the muscles around the joints are weak and aren’t able to adequately absorb physical stress during activity.
Your inactivity could be making you weak! Causing more joint stress and increasing pressure on the joints! Your lack of challenging your body is making you weak and painful.
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens our bones and causes them to become fragile. Anyone can be at risk for developing osteoporosis, however, women who are of post-menopausal age are at an increased risk due to the imbalance between the body not making new bone cells as fast as the old bone cells are lost. There are many ways we can manage our bone loss naturally so we can live active lives.
Running is great for our muscles, joints and cardiovascular health. Yet the repetitive nature of running can become irritating on our knees. In fact, knee injuries are incredibly common, accounting for up to 50% of all running injuries.
Knee pain with running can show up in many different locations. Pain around the knee cap (patella) is often referred to as patellofemoral pain syndrome or Runner’s Knee. Pain on the outside of the knee that also has a snapping sensation could be Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITB syndrome).
Frozen shoulder typically begins gradually but then progresses until you are unable to use your arm at all or make any movements without pain or difficulty. Painful and prolonged syndrome of frozen shoulder. Although women are more susceptible, anyone can develop a frozen shoulder, and having a frozen shoulder in one arm significantly increases that chance of developing a frozen shoulder on the opposite side.
Walking has many benefits to your joints, muscles, heart length, and overall maintenance of your function. Walking for exercises is one of the best activities we can do to help ourselves stay strong and mobile. Proper technique is important to maintain proper technique, posture, and joint health. When the joints feel good and your muscles feel strong you will continue to walk for exercise. According to the CDC, walking for 30 minutes a day or more on most days of the week is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. If you can’t manage 30 minutes a day, remember ‘even a little is good, but more is better’, so break it up into 3 10minute walks.