From wfmz.com
Arthritis is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide, and the World Health Organization says osteoarthritis has increased more than 100% in the last 30 years. They blame the aging population and obesity for the uptick.
The CDC says nearly 20% of adults have diagnosed arthritis and more of them are women. If you find yourself with this painful joint inflammation, here are a few things you can do:
1. Keep your joints moving. Do daily, gentle stretches that move your joints through their full range of motion. Experts say regular movement helps nourish the joint, keeps muscles strong and limber, and reduces pain. While some people fear exercise will cause further damage, it is actually good for joint health.
2. Diet can play a major role in arthritis severity and symptoms. Many foods can ease inflammation, and may help relieve some of the joint pain associated with arthritis. These are foods like fatty fish, garlic, ginger, broccoli, walnuts, and berries. Try to avoid foods that exacerbate inflammation like sugar, processed meats, and refined carbs.
3. Using heat and cold can help. Experts say heating pads can help aching joints, taking hot baths or showers, or immersing painful joints in warm paraffin wax. Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
Use of cold, such as applying ice packs to sore muscles, can relieve pain and inflammation after strenuous exercise.
4. Maintain a healthy weight. Doctors say weight loss helps improve pain, stiffness, and function, and being overweight can increase complications of arthritis, and contribute to arthritis pain.
5. Try not to overtreat or undertreat. Doctors say some people take too much medication without consulting an expert. They say talk with your doctor if you find yourself using over-the-counter pain relievers regularly. And others ignore severe and prolonged arthritis pain. Doctors say this also can be a problem in the long term.
6. Acupuncture and massage can help for some people. Experts say massage might improve pain and stiffness temporarily.
Researchers say some of the reasons we develop arthritis have to do with family history, maybe a previous joint injury, and obesity.
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