Arthritis Risk Factors And Symptoms
Risk factors for arthritis include aging, genetics, obesity, trauma to the joint and abnormal anatomy. There are also secondary symptoms that occur after developing arthritis. For example, after developing lower-body arthritis, people typically become more sedentary. After developing upper-body arthritis, people commonly refrain from using the affected limb or appendage.
In both cases, this lack of use can lead to reduced muscle development. Once chronic arthritis sets in, it can lead to severe pain and loss of function of the joint.
Exercise Your Dog The Right Way
Puppies need exercise, but the right kind of exercise for dogs and the right amount can ensure proper bone growth, says Dr. Knabe.
Too much running on hard surfaces can impact proper bone growth, especially in the hip joints if they are loose to begin with. A better workout may be with another puppy, she says, as they will both tire at about the same time and will take breaks when they need it.
Consider exposing your dog to water and swimming when hes young, recommends Dr. Jessica Ennis, medical director at Cherry Hill Animal Hospital in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
wimming a great activity that is easy on the joints. Early familiarization with water will make exercising as a senior or with arthritis that much easier. Some pets cant benefit from this incredible treatment for arthritis because they are fearful of water, says Dr. Ennis.
Any exercise for dogs should take body type into consideration, says Dr. Robin Downing, hospital director at the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management in Windsor, Colorado. For instance, a Bulldog should not be asked to run alongside a bicycle during a ride. Labs generally love to swim, but not so much for typical Poodles. Also, regular exercise is better for dogs than the weekend warrior approach.
What Is A Good Vitamin For Arthritis
Top 4 Supplements to Treat Arthritis Pain Curcumin Evidence suggests the turmeric root has anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin D. If you have arthritis pain or are at high risk for arthritis, your doctor may recommend a vitamin D supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.
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Take Care Of Your Blood Sugar:
High blood sugar can result in a certain tension forming in the joints and the tendons that hold them. The pressure can lead to stiffness in your joints which will worsen your arthritis.
Therefore, take care of your blood sugar and control it. Monitor it using a sugar monitor, take insulin injections and the proper medications to control your sugar, and refrain from consuming high sugar foods.
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Preventing And Managing Arthritis
Exercise: When it comes to arthritis prevention, exercise plays a major role. When your joints are hurting, the last thing most people want to do is exercise. And yet, exercising, when done right with proper warm ups and cool downs, can be an effective way to help maintain joint health. Regular activity combined with a balanced diet can also help you lose weight, which puts less strain on your joints. Your doctor, or physical therapist, can also provide you with specific exercises to help keep your joints limber and strong, including those important smaller joints of your wrists, hands, and fingers.
Diet: Did you know that your diet can help you avoid arthritis flare-ups? An anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce soreness and strengthen bones and joints. A balanced diet, rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, lean meats, and nuts can provide a firm foundation for overall health too. Tart cherries, strawberries, and raspberries all have known anti-inflammatory properties. They are also high in micronutrients and antioxidants. There are even some spices, such as the yellow spice turmeric, that have especially potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Appropriate Medications: your doctor may prescribe medications which can help you to manage the damaging effects of chronic inflammation. He or she may also recommend targeted injections or other treatments for arthritis.
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Can Imaging Exams Detect Arthritis
Imaging exams can help your healthcare provider get a clear picture of your bones, joints and soft tissues. An X-ray, MRI or ultrasound can reveal:
- Bone fractures or dislocations that may be causing you joint pain.
- Cartilage breakdown around your joints.
- Muscle, ligament or tendon injuries near your joints.
- Soft tissue inflammation.
Why Is Exercise Important To Prevent Arthritis
Regular exercise is one of the most important strategies to try to prevent arthritis. Exercise can help keep your weight down, which reduces stress on your joints. The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center reports being only ten pounds overweight increases the force on the knee by 30- 60 pounds with each step.
Exercise also strengthens the muscles around joints, helping to reduce wear on the muscles and joints. Regular physical activity also stretches our tendons and ligaments to maintain flexibility. Cartilage is like a rubbery cushion in a joint, and it gets lubricated when we move that joint. Regular exercise keeps components of our joints lubricated and flexible, helping to reduce pain.
Your exercise routine can include the following low-impact aerobic activities:
- Walking
- Shadowboxing
- Rowing
All of these activities can boost your heart rate while avoiding the stress on your joints caused by high-impact exercises that involve running and jumping.
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Can Dog Arthritis Be Cured
How long can arthritis be treated cureable? It is, however, unfortunate that it is not possible. If your dogs joint are damaged by glucosamine or an FDA-approved substance, it is unlikely to be completely repaired. Nevertheless, such pets can be made pain-free after proper medication administration with sensible management so as to prevent deterioration further.
How To Prevent Arthritis From Getting Worse
Arthritis is a major concern for adults as they age. While there is nothing we can do to reverse the arthritis has already developed, there is A LOT we can do to prevent arthritis from getting worse. In this article well show you how to prevent arthritis from getting worse.
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Preventative Measures For Arthritis
There are over 100 forms of arthritis and some are easier to prevent than others. In some situations, such as autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, a low-inflammation diet that eliminates sugar and grains can alleviate some symptoms. Eating a diet low in processed foods and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and beans can help fight the inflammation caused by osteoarthritis.
Maintaining a healthy weight can also help reduce the pain and take pressure off the joints. Once osteoarthritis develops, exercise can help limit pain and improve overall function, especially a focus on flexibility, aerobic and strengthening exercises. Swimming and cycling are excellent low-impact exercises that will work your muscles but arent hard on your joints.
While theres nothing you can do to completely eliminate your risk for developing arthritis, there are certain steps, like diet and exercise, you can take to be more proactive about your long-term health.
Fight Back Against Arthritis
So what can you do? The good news is that there are risk factors for osteoarthritis that women can target for arthritis prevention. Start with these important steps.
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Take Your Dog To The Vet Regularly
Dr. Morrison recommends dog parents partner with a veterinarian they trust so they can provide guidance throughout the course of the dogs life. Regular visits to the veterinarian, including twice-yearly comprehensive examinations, are recommended to ensure early detection, diagnosis and treatment planning for any signs of arthritis or conditions that could lead to arthritis, she says.
Your veterinarian will also inform you on ways to recognize pain or discomfort in your dog in the early stages. Your pet may exhibit subtle signs or behaviors at the onset of a condition like arthritis, and by the time signs like limping are noticed, there may already be irreversible joint damage, says Dr. Morrison.
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Stop Eating An Unhealthy Diet
What’s your diet got to do with arthritis? Eating well and maintaining your ideal weight is especially important if you’ve got arthritis. Excess pounds can put lots of stress on weight-bearing joints, which is likely to make arthritis pain worse. Even moderate weight gain can stress joints that are already burdened by arthritis.
Hand Exercises To Prevent Arthritis
Arthritis wears away at the joint’s cartilage, a cushioning material between bones causing inflammation and irritation of the synovial lining of the joints, which produces the synovial fluid that protects and lubricates the joints.There is increased pain and stiffness in the joints of the hands affected by arthritis. A non-invasive way to keep the joints flexible, improve mobility, and relieve arthritis pain is hand stretches and exercises. In addition, hand exercises for arthritis may strengthen the muscles that support the hand joints and help keep ligaments and tendons flexible, which improves hand function and mobility.Finally, hand strengthening exercises can increase the production of synovial fluid, which can also improve joint function.
Conclusively, if you are at risk of developing hand arthritis, pay attention to preventive measures to reduce the risk of developing it. If you already have arthritis, adopt the methods which can reduce the pain and alleviate the symptoms. There are also many over-the-counter joint pain relief creams that you can try, along with the various techniques mentioned above.
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Arthritis Prevention And Care Tips
Swollen, stiff and painful joints are common symptoms of arthritis, or joint disease. There over 100 types of arthritis and related conditions that also can affect connective tissues and organs, including the eyes, heart, lungs and skin. While thick, knobby fingers may reveal surface signs of arthritis, deeper down in the joints where bones connect, and even in soft tissue, is where arthritis can wield debilitating damage.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 54.4 million American adults, or about one in four, have arthritis, and that by 2040, an estimated 78 million U.S. adults age 18 and older will have arthritisthe leading cause of disability in the country. Anyone of any age can get arthritisthe Arthritis Foundation says that about 300,000 babies and children have arthritis or a rheumatic conditionbut the joint disease becomes more common with age. The CDC states that from 2013 to 2015, almost half of people age 65 and older in the U.S. reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and 26 percent of women and 19 percent of men in America reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis. 1
Can You Prevent Arthritis
Youve witnessed your grandma or mom dealing with the pain of arthritis. Now youre crossing your fingers, hoping youve missed the genetic lotto that doles out inherited diseases like arthritis. The good news is, its not just genetics that influence your chances of developing arthritis: your lifestyle plays a role as well. That means you can actually reduce your chances of getting this debilitating disease by making lifestyle changes today.
Many of the lifestyle changes that can help reduce your chances of developing arthritis also have other health benefits.
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Get The Proper Medication:
You must get the proper medication for arthritis as soon as it is diagnosed. Do not hesitate to seek a medical professionals help as they will properly guide you.
Medical professionals will give you good painkillers for arthritis and other medication to ease your swollen joints and pain. They will also help you recommend some physical exercises to help you stop your arthritis from getting worse.
Exercise Even If You Already Have Arthritis
If you have arthritis in one or more joints, exercise is considered the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing your pain and improving movement. This doesnt mean doing high-impact, high-intensity sports.
Consider three types of moderate exercise if you have osteoarthritis and want to improve your ability to move and function:
- Range of motion. Also called flexibility exercises, include stretches and movements that fully cover each joints range of motion.
- Aerobic exercises. These improve breathing, circulation and endurance. They also help you burn off extra weight that adds stress to your joints.
- Strengthening exercises. These build strong muscles that support and protect your joints.
Consult with your doctor or provider about the type and intensity of exercise that is likely to help your arthritis.
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What Are The Different Types Of Arthritis
Arthritis is a broad term that describes more than 100 different joint conditions. The most common types of arthritis include:
- Osteoarthritis, or wear and tear arthritis, which develops when joint cartilage breaks down from repeated stress. Its the most common form of arthritis.
- Ankylosing spondylitis, or arthritis of the spine .
- Juvenile arthritis , a disorder where the immune system attacks the tissue around joints. JA typically affects children 16 or younger.
- Gout, a disease that causes hard crystals of uric acid to form in your joints.
- Psoriatic arthritis, joint inflammation that develops in people with psoriasis .
- Rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that causes the immune system to attack synovial membranes in your joints.
Stop Avoiding Mobility Aids
A cane, walker, or wheelchair may be necessary for some people with arthritis to stay independent and get around on their own. Understandably it can be tough to think about needing some sort of mobility aid, but if you do need one and don’t use it you risk missing out on things you would enjoy.
A cane or wheelchair doesn’t define who you are, and no one will judge you or think less of you for using one. In fact, you’ll probably be admired for getting out there and having fun in spite of needing a little help.
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Ask Your Veterinarian About Dog Joint Supplements
While theres no current data supporting the use of supplements to prevent arthritis in dogs, they do play a role in supporting the joints.
Joint supplements with glucosamine and chondroitin can help slow the loss of cartilage and keep your pet comfortable longer, says Dr. Ennis. Omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA found in fish oil are powerful antioxidants. They will help scavenge free radicals, reducing toxic damage and fight inflammation in the body, she says.
What Foods Help Prevent Arthritis
There is no dietary cure for arthritis. Establishing healthy habits are your best bets for trying to prevent the disease. Maintaining a healthy diet is an important part of the plan. Try to eat foods that fight inflammation in our bodies and strengthen our bones.
The United States Department of Agriculture suggests eating fish that contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids. These include salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines. The Arthritis Foundation recommends eating these fish two or more times a week to reduce inflammation.
The Arthritis Foundation says berries provide arthritis-fighting power. It recommends eating:
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Raspberries
The Arthritis Foundation also suggests eating pomegranate fruit because the tannins inside also minimize inflammation in our bodies.
Eating vegetables that lead to less inflammation can also help. Try adding regular servings of broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms to your diet. Leave the vegetable or corn oil in the pantry and instead use olive oil and canola oil. They both contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
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What Is A Joint And How Does It Work
A joint is where two or more bones meet, such as in the fingers, knees, and shoulders. Joints hold bones in place and allow them to move freely within limits.
Most of the joints in our body are surrounded by a strong capsule. The capsule is filled with a thick fluid that helps to lubricate the joint. These capsules hold our bones in place. They do this with the help of ligaments. These are a bit like very strong elastic bands.
The ends of the bones within a joint are lined with cartilage. This is a smooth but tough layer of tissue that allows bones to glide over one another as you move.
If we want to move a bone, our brain gives a signal to the muscle, which then pulls a tendon, and this is attached to the bone. Muscles therefore have an important role in supporting a joint.