Tips For Joint Health

To take care of the health of your joints, you need to know that the system that allows you to move, namely the musculoskeletal system, is very complex. It consists of bones, joints and muscles, as well as tendons and ligaments. Your musculoskeletal system functions in such a way that you can move your body, and this is possible thanks to your joints.

When your brain tells you to contract muscles, voluntarily or not, it pulls on your bones. In this way they start a mechanism and a function of the joints, causing movement.

Every day, doctors diagnose many inflammatory diseases that affect joint health. The risk of these diseases increases with age, and osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are the most common conditions.

Joint Disease Symptoms and Diagnoses

The main symptom of diseases that affect your joint health is joint pain, which is sometimes accompanied by inflammation and deformity. In some cases, they can limit the movement of the affected joints, or cause stiffness and loss of range of motion.

A specialist will make a diagnosis based on your symptoms. This can be supplemented with testing as needed, such as:

• blood and urine tests
• x-rays
• ultrasounds

Some joint diseases can be completely controlled with proper diagnosis and treatment. However, other conditions such as osteoarthritis are chronic and difficult to manage.

The risk factors for joint pain

There are a number of factors that predispose you to joint pain, and for which you can take a number of precautions. However, there are other factors that you cannot influence.

From a genetic standpoint, middle-aged women are more likely to develop joint pain than men. However, it is not clear whether the relationship is only genetic, or whether there is also a hormonal component.

Being overweight is one of the factors that you can change yourself. It is in some cases a cause of joint pain, but in other cases it is a consequence. On the one hand, excess weight overloads your joints. On the other hand, it can be a result of joint pain, as the pain makes it more difficult to move.

The type of work you do can also cause you to overload certain joints. Competitive sports also deal with different conditions, depending on the sport you play.

How can you take care of the health of your joints

You can prevent some diseases by adopting healthy habits. In this way you can influence certain risk factors that are modifiable. These include the following factors:

1. Diet

Your diet is very important. A diet with enough calcium, along with low-intensity exercise, can help you prevent osteoporosis and improve your exercise.

2. Movement

In addition to your diet, it is also important to avoid a sedentary lifestyle and exercise. This way you get the following benefits, among others:

• it relieves the pain
• joint mobility improves
• your muscles get stronger
• it stimulates bone growth
• you sleep better

3. Changing Your Attitude

You should avoid bad posture, that is also very important. Also consider avoiding the following:

• spending too much time on your feet, including standing for long periods
• spend a long time sitting or lying down

• do not keep your back straight when you are sitting and supported by a backrest
• using unbalanced weights in weightlifting
• bend your back when you pick things up from the floor
• activities that cause an overload, such as walking for long periods on uneven ground

4. Good footwear

It is important to wear large, comfortable shoes, preferably with insoles. Do not wear high heels, as high heels promote degenerative changes in your foot and knee joints. However, we also do not recommend completely flat shoes.

How do you relieve joint problems

Sometimes you need medicines to reduce pain and inflammation in your joints, such as painkillers and anti-inflammatories. In certain more severe cases, a corticosteroid injection may be helpful. However, this depends on the advice of your doctor.

You can also use cold compresses for acute inflammation, or a warm compress for stiff muscles. These non-invasive techniques can improve your mobility.

Conclusions about the health of your joints

Diseases related to joint health are common. Now that we have longer life expectancy and our habits promote overweight and obesity, they are even more common.

It’s important to adopt healthy habits, such as:

• regular exercise
• a balanced diet
• good shoes
• good attitude

You can change risk factors to improve your quality of life and extend the life of your joints.