Prevent Arthritis

Arthritis is a common affliction of the aging process. Many people will be faced with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or juvenile arthritis at some point in their life. The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, involves the degeneration of the cartilage, causing bones to rub against each other and cause pain. This article will tell you how to prevent arthritis.

Steps

Medically Verified Prevention Strategies

1. Drink plenty of water. Cartilage in your joints works as shock absorbers and osteoarthritis leads to the deterioration of that cartilage. Since this material is made up of 70 percent water, you can improve the health of it by always drinking at least 64 oz. (1.9 l) of water per day.
2. Consume superfruits. Superfruits, which mostly refer to deep-colored berries and other richly colored fruits, contain high amounts of antioxidants (substances that protect your cells from the effects of free radicals). Free radicals are considered harmful compounds which can damage your cells and possibly cause certain diseases. Many studies have suggested that a high-antioxidant diet lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and osteoarthritis.
   • Coffee, tea and soda may contain water, but also act as a diuretic, encouraging your body to expel fluids more quickly, before they have had time to adequately hydrate your body. Do not replace water with these beverages.
3. Increase your calcium intake. Make sure you have a diet rich in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt. If you are lactose intolerant, supplement your diet with non-dairy foods that are rich in calcium, like broccoli, salmon, spinach, black beans, peanuts, almonds, tofu, sardines and sesame seeds.
4. Increase your vitamin intake. Vitamins C and D have been shown to support healthy joints. Vitamin D specifically may prevent onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, people who do not get direct sunlight or live in northern climates may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Vitamin D helps calcium to be absorbed into the body and bones. You can also eat foods rich in vitamin D, like salmon, tuna, fortified orange juice or milk, yogurt, eggs and beef.
   • Ask your doctor before taking any dietary supplements. Overdosing on supplements can put you at risk for other ailments.
5. Maintain your weight. Increased weight on the load-bearing joints like knees, ankles and hips makes you highly susceptible to osteoarthritis. Luckily, losing weight cuts the risk of arthritis.
   • Studies have shown that obesity also hurts the renewal process cartilage. When damaged cartilage is not replaced quickly enough by new cartilage, it leads to the onset of osteoporosis.
6. Exercise regularly with both cardiovascular and light weightlifting exercises. Not only can exercise reduce your weight, but it keeps your muscles strong and your joints flexible. A sedentary lifestyle leaves you far more susceptible to arthritis as you age.
   • Try to exercise at least 20 minutes for three days a week if exercise is vigorous, or 30 minutes of moderate exercise for five days a week. Anything else is considered insufficient against protecting against early onset arthritis.
   • Choose your exercise carefully. Heavy weightlifting and repetitive motions like running can cause undue stress on your joints and increase the likelihood that you will get osteoarthritis. Make sure that you are incorporating low-impact exercise like swimming, biking, elliptical use or Pilates into your routine.
   • Ensure you have proper footwear when you walk or do other low-impact activities. Whenever possible, choose asphalt or natural ground over concrete.
7. Practice yoga or simple stretching. These exercises strengthen the muscles around joints. When these muscles are strong, they lift some of the weight burden from the joint. Stretching also improves and maintains range of motion as you get older.
8. Treat injuries adequately. Repetitive injuries, such as ankle sprains can lead to arthritis in the nearby joints in later years. Make sure you give the joint time to heal properly and train with a physical therapist after serious injuries.
9. Reduce repetitive motions in your daily life. Work, sports and other activities can often include harmful repetitive motions. These motions can lead to micro trauma in surrounding joint tissue, which can then lead to osteoarthritis.
   • Pay attention to your biomechanics, such as posture in your daily routine. Improper knee bending, squatting, bending over and kneeling can cause the repetitive stress and micro trauma. The younger you are when you fix your posture, the more healthy your joints will be.
   • Sitting still for long periods of time is considered similar to a repetitive motion because it causes more stress on your joints and spine. Stand up every 30 minutes, if you work at a desk job.
10. Quit smoking, as it weakens bone health and structure. Arthritis patients who quit smoking see an improvement in how many joints that hurt, as well as the level of pain they experience.
11. Avoid excess alcohol consumption. This habit is similar to smoking as it weakens vitamin absorption and bone structure.

Unverified Home Remedies

1. Try flax seed oil. Flax seed oil is a kind superfood that's high in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduces inflammation in addition to other healing properties. Flax seed oil's ability to reduce inflammation may be key in reducing pain and delaying onset of rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Try cod liver oil. The thought with cod liver oil is that it can potentially help slow down cartilage degeneration, thereby preventing osteoarthritis. Some studies assert that cod liver oil could potentially reverse the effect of degeneration. Try to take one or two tablespoons of the oil daily to improve your chances of preventing osteoarthritis.
3. Try soaking in Epsom salts. Epsom salts contain lots of magnesium. Magnesium in humans is responsible for bone growth, among other things. A magnesium deficiency lowers your body's ability to utilize calcium and phosphorus, two essential building blocks in bone growth.
   • Prepare a salt bath by mixing in 3 cups of Epsom salts into hot water. Stay in the bath for at least 30 minutes.
4. Try taking glucosamine and/or chondroitin. Although the medical results are mixed, glucosamine is touted as a way to roll back cartilage degeneration. Glucosamine is a natural compound found in cartilage. It is believed that glucosamine and chondroitin, which is often taken with glucosamine, are particularly effective at preventing osteoarthritis of the knees.
   • Still, there is no scientific consensus about the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin. It could be that the sulfate form of glucosamine is effective and the non-sulfated forms are not.
5. Try herbal remedies to help with inflammation. If you are worried about inflammation, and trying to cure the pain associated with it, you might want to consider taking herbs or herbal supplements. The following herbs have a reputation as anti-inflammatories, and may be particularly suited to preventing arthritis:
   • Ginger
   • Alfalfa seeds
   • Cinnamon
   • Tumeric

Tips

• If you are a woman, discuss hormone replacement therapy with your doctor when you are going through menopause. One of estrogen's functions is to maintain calcium levels in the bones. The reduction of estrogen before, during and after menopause can reduce bone mass and cause osteoarthritis.
• Ask your doctor about new joint supplements on the market, like unsaponifiable parts of avocado and soybean (ASU) and hyaluronic acid (HA).

Related Articles

• Decrease Chances of Arthritis
• Prevent Arthritis Progression
• Know if You Have Arthritis in the Knee
• Stop Joint Pain Using Apple Cider Vinegar

Sources and Citations

• http://www.healingwell.com/library/arthritis/lawrence1.asp
• http://www.selfhelpdaily.com/how-to-prevent-arthritis/
• http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/11/earlyshow/health/main2911877.shtml
• http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20040109/vitamin-d-may-prevent-arthritis

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