Achy joints? Sharp pain in the knee? How about your
hips or hands?
We often take our joints for granted through our
childhood and early adult years, but eventually the
clock catches up with us. Suddenly, we hurt. Before
you get to that point, it’s important to figure out
ways to keep the aches at bay.
Discover seven things you can (and should) do right
now to keep joints healthy and pain-free:
- Watch your weight
A lot of things we can’t modify, like genetics. But there
are some we can change, like body weight. Orthopedic
surgeons often see a correlation in patients being
overweight and those who develop arthritis in
the body. The best way to be kind to your joints is by
maintaining a healthy body weight.
- Exercise daily
Daily exercise ties into weight loss and helps maintain
healthy muscle strength which reduces stress on
your joints.
- Focus on low-impact exercises
Swimming, biking, elliptical machines, and walking
all make for a great exercise regimen that is low
impact on your joints. High-impact activities such
as jumping, or running, can put extra stress on
your hips and knees.
- Stretch
Stretch to maintain flexibility in the joints by keeping
them moving. Stiff joints can lead to increased
stress, which cause pain or lead to other disorders.
- Listen to your body
The older mentality was to fight through it—no pain,
no gain. If you’re doing certain activities and are
having pain, back off and modify. Listen to what your
joints are telling you.
- Count your calcium
Strive to maintain healthy bones by getting adequate
amounts of calcium in your diet. For menopausal
women, the need for calcium can increase. It’s a great
first step to consult with a primary care doctor to
determine the proper amount of calcium for your body.
- Don’t worry about weather watching
Some people complain about joint pain with changes
in the weather. There’s no great data for or against this
idea. While some patients can have increased joint
pain when there’s a change in barometric pressure,
the most important thing is to stay active and
stretch those joints out.
Orthopedic surgeons are specially trained to help patients manage certain conditions, relieve pain,
restore mobility and independence, or return to work and other daily activities. To find a local and
dependable orthopedic surgeon with consistent high-quality outcomes, call 888.313.9167