How to reduce your risk of arthritis | The best orthopedic doctor in visakhapatnam
Some causes of arthritis are beyond your control, like growing older, being female or having a family history of arthritis. But you can take steps to reduce your risk of arthritis or delay its onset.
Here’s how to keep your joints healthy as you age:
Stay at a healthy weight.
Extra pounds put pressure on weight-bearing joints like hips and knees. Each pound you gain adds nearly four pounds of stress on your knees and puts six times the pressure on your hips.
Control your blood sugar.
High blood sugar can stiffen the tissue that supports your joints and make them more sensitive to stress.
Exercise.
Just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week helps joints stay limber and strengthens the muscles that support your knees and hips. Focus on low-impact exercises like walking, cycling or swimming.
Stretch.
Gentle stretching can improve your range of motion and keep your joints limber. Try to work in simple stretches into every day.
Avoid injury.
An injured joint is more likely to develop arthritis than one that was never injured. Wear protective gear when playing sports and always lift with your knees and hips, not your back.
Quit smoking.
Smoking puts stress on tissues that protect your joints and can lead to arthritis pain. Learn how Blue Cross can help you quit.
Eat fish twice a week.
Eat fish high in Omega-3s, like salmon, trout and mackerel. Omega-3s have many health benefits and may reduce inflammation.
Get routine preventive care. Your doctor may be able to suggest lifestyle changes that can help reduce your risk or slow the progress of arthritis.
Dr Abdul D Khan
MBBS(AMC, Vizag) MRCS(Edin, UK) MRCS(Glasg, UK) FRCS(Tr & Orth, UK) CCT(Tr & Orth, UK)
Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon & Head of the department of Orthopaedics (DNB Training), Apollo Hospitals, Vizag.