{"id":3931,"date":"2018-05-21T16:22:13","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T21:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/innovativehomecare.com\/?p=3931"},"modified":"2019-11-25T13:39:41","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T19:39:41","slug":"manage-and-prevent-osteoarthritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/manage-and-prevent-osteoarthritis\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Lifestyle Tips to Manage and Prevent Osteoarthritis"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the U.S. It affects around 27-million people, according to Healthline.com<\/a>. It\u2019s a painful form of arthritis caused by wear and tear on the cartilage that provides cushioning between bones. This will leads to pain and limited mobility.<\/p>

However, while there are treatments to help the pain and inflammation, there are also some lifestyle changes you can make to help improve the condition so you can improve your quality of life. Here are seven suggestions for those suffering from osteoarthritis.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. Add Lots of Light Exercises<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s important to keep moving when you have a joint-limiting condition. You risk losing more range of motion while adding to stiffness. Healthline suggests taking on \u201clow-impact\u201d exercises that still address improving your strength as well as aerobic training.<\/p>

One way to achieve this is by doing some exercises in a pool. It can dramatically lower the impact on your joints by supporting your weight. Water lets you move gracefully, but also provides enough resistance to get your blood pumping and your muscles toned.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Watch Your Weight<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Having additional mass on your body can put unnecessary strain on your knees, making your arthritis symptoms worse. The Arthritis Foundation has a wide range of suggestions for helping you take off some excess weight without extreme dieting.<\/p>

The foundation also lists the benefits of dropping some pounds if you\u2019re suffering from arthritis, such as reducing pressure on your joints. And also, easing inflammation (and associated pain), and cutting the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as diabetes and even cancer.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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3. Get Some Rest<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Your body \u2013 and your joints \u2013 could use a time-out once in a while. Healthline explains it\u2019s important to get adequate rest if you have osteoarthritis. Getting rest is also important in helping prevent the condition in the first place, giving your joints and muscles a chance to recover after activities.<\/p>

Your joints will tell you when they need a break, as they will become \u201cswollen or achy,\u201d it adds. Once you\u2019ve reached this level of discomfort, try to avoid intense activity for at least 12-hours. \u201cLetting an injured joint heal helps reduce the risk of developing OA there in the future,\u201d it adds.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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4. Monitor Your Blood Sugar<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

What does sugar have to do with osteoarthritis? Well, according to the Arthritis Foundation, if glucose is running rampant in your system. It could increase the formation of molecules that contribute to the stiffening of the joints.<\/p>

The source also notes there\u2019s research that shows diabetes can boost the chances of developing OA. Diabetes can trigger \u201csystemic inflammation that leads to cartilage loss\u201d making the whole situation worse. You can also end up with Charcot joint (also known as neuropathic arthropathy) that causes joint deterioration from nerve damage associated with diabetes, adds the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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5. Change Your Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

HealthCommunities.com<\/a> explains that what you\u2019re eating could be leading to more pain associated with OA. Not only will improving your diet possibly help you lose some weight. We already mentioned is important in cases of arthritis, but can also benefit your entire health picture.<\/p>

The source suggests eating more fish (presumably for the Omega-3 acids) while maintaining \u201cmoderate amounts\u201d of lean meat. Switch your cooking oils to cold-pressed olive oil or flax oil, as this can help reduce inflammation from OA, it adds. You may also want to try some spicy foods (like chili peppers) that contain Capsaicin, a natural painkiller. If you can\u2019t handle it hot, there are Capsaicin creams as well.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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6. Cut Smoking and Drinking<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

We know this is easier said than done, but the pain from OA can be made worse by alcohol, which may increase your urge to self-medicate. A post on the U.S. Library of Medicine outlines a study about the effect of chronic drinking on OA, noting it may increase the development of the condition.<\/p>

The study involves groups of mice (alcohol-fed and controlled), with researchers measuring key indicators along the way (such as a drop in anti-inflammatory properties in the alcohol-fed group). The post claims it\u2019s \u201cthe first evidence that chronic alcohol consumption may be a novel risk factor for the development of OA\u201d. Meanwhile, as you should already know, smoking is bad for many reasons. One of them is that it suppresses the immune system. It\u2019s also been linked to more severe cartilage loss and pain.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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7. Stay Connected<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

One pitfall people with OA can fall into is cutting themselves off from friends and family, and not getting the support they need. This can also limit how often you venture out to see friends and family. Which won\u2019t do any favors for improving your physical condition.<\/p>

WebMD notes joining a support group for OA can provide a great way to share your feelings about the condition while continuing to do things you love and spending time with loved ones goes a long way in maintaining a positive outlook. \u201cFocus on your abilities rather than your disabilities,\u201d it notes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Source: www.activebeat.com<\/a><\/p>

We look forward to assisting you at home soon. Please call\u00a0630-225-0100<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0set an appointment<\/a>\u00a0for a free home care needs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the U.S., affecting about 27-million people. Here are the 7 lifestyle tips to manage and prevent Osteoarthritis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3931"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8947,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3931\/revisions\/8947"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}