5 Ways to Help Prevent Arthritis

5 Ways to Help Prevent Arthritis

in

Article Featured on Michigan Hand & Wrist

While it may not be possible to completely get rid of your risk of developing arthritis, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk and delay the onset. Arthritis happens when cartilage wears away, causing your bones to rub against and damage each other, which is why you feel pain. There are some tips you can follow that may help arthritis from developing, which include:

1. Maintain a healthy body weight

Excess weight puts extra strains on your joints and cartilage, causing it to wear away sooner. To reduce your body weight, clean up your diet and start exercising if you aren’t already. Try to stick to lower impact exercises, especially if your joints are already painful.

2. Avoid high impact exercise

Avoid exercises such as running, plyometrics, and contact sports. Instead, try biking, walking, swimming, or low impact options on exercise videos to protect your joints. Sticking to low impact exercises can also help you prevent major injuries such as a ligament tear, which can contribute to arthritis.

3. Check your vitamin D

Have your doctor check your levels, and if they are low, consider taking a vitamin or increasing your natural sources of vitamin D. Some natural sources include fatty fish, dairy, and even natural sunlight.

4. Stay hydrated

Cartilage is comprised mostly of water. Dehydrated cartilage is more susceptible to injury, wear, and tear. Staying hydrated can also help you maintain a healthy weight.

5. Consider your technique

Whether you’re carrying heavy boxes or working out, make sure you’re always using the proper technique so you are not putting unneeded stress on your joints. Some good rules of thumb are to always lift with your legs and carry heavy objects close to your body.

Following these tips to reduce your risk of developing arthritis can go a long way. Not only will they make your joints happy, but they will probably make you happier as well.

Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:
503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm