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| Sunday, 21 July 2002 |
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Your knees crackle when you stand up. Your thumbs ache. And you have that stiff, creaky shoulder thing. You don't even have much grey hair, so it couldn't be arthritis. Or could it?
The first stages of OA may be silent; mild cartilage damage typically has no symptoms. OA is most likely to show up in hands and weight bearing joints, including the knees, hips, spine, lower back, neck, and end joints of the fingers. But it's only when there is significant cartilage loss that you'll begin to notice real pain and loss of joint function. So once you feel those first twinges, you need to see a doctor to prevent further damage. Can you Prevent OA? Since there's no cure for OA, your best bet is to try to prevent it. You can lower your risk by staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and preventing injuries to your joints. Weight loss can also help if you already suffer from OA, and you don't have to shed a lot of pounds to make a difference. When you walk, your knees absorb a force equal to about three times your body weight with each step. So losing just 10 lb. actually relieves each knee of about a 30-lb load with every stride you take. If you're in pain, your doctor will recommend over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription drugs. Along with weight loss (if necessary), he'll also prescribe aerobic activity and exercises to strengthen the muscles around your joints. Won't exercise hurt? If you want to feel less pain, take fewer medications, improve your flexibility, get stronger, and avoid joint replacement surgery in the future, then you're going to have to get moving. Some studies show that aerobic exercise such as walking can reduce inflammation in some joints. Some doctors also recommend exercises that includes stretching, aerobic exercises, and strengthening exercises. How Can Stretching Help? When a joint hurts, you don't feel like moving it. But when you don't move it, the joint gets increasingly stiff, making any form of exercise seem unbearable. That's where gentle stretches can help: They improve your flexibility and increase your range of motion so you can perform a variety of tasks that many people take for granted but that those with OA may find difficult, such as reaching overhead for something off the top shelf, or turning your neck in the car to see what's behind you. Begin your stretches in the morning, preferably when you're warm. A warm bath or shower is a good place to start: Begin with the neck and jaw, and work your way toward the feet, systematically stretching each muscle group as you go. Move slowly, and hold each position comfortably for 10 to 20 seconds. This should take less than 5 minutes. Yoga provides a good opportunity to stretch and improve your flexibility. It's also an excellent form of relaxation. Strengthening the muscles around an arthritic joint supports the joint and lessens pain. For example, strengthening the quadriceps muscles, a group of muscles that covers the front of each thigh, helps stabilise and control the knee joint. Start strengthening exercises slowly with light weights. You want to feel muscle fatigue but not pain. Muscle fatigue goes away after you've finished the exercise. Pain, on the other hand, may persist long after you're done. Exercise should never be painful. Choose an exercise that you enjoy and that doesn't hurt. When you have arthritis, there's no gain in pain. Aquatic exercises such as swimming or walking are excellent choices because they allow you to burn calories and tone up without placing weight on sore joints, says Dr. Arnold. If you like to walk, make sure you're wearing walking or running shoes with good heel and arch support. If your knees are unstable, you should probably stick to a smooth outdoor surface or treadmill instead of a bumpy or stone-covered sidewalk. If you're new to aerobic exercise, start with only a few minutes a day, gradually increasing to 20 to 30 minutes a day. For greater convenience, break it up into 5-minute intervals throughout the day. While injuries are sometimes unavoidable, they can often be prevented if we'd only take the time to follow a few common sense guidelines. Follow these tips to prevent injury: * Warm up before you exercise. Do this by performing the activity
slowly and at low intensity. A relaxed and flexible body is more resistant
to injury than a stiff one. Take note of any joint pain that follows prolonged periods of rest, whether you're waking up in the morning or getting up from your favourite chair after a 2-hour movie. It may be an early warning sign of osteoarthritis. Some other warning signs include swelling or tenderness in one or more joints, and a crunching feeling or the sound of bone rubbing on bone. |
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Osteoarthritis
(OA) isn't supposed to happen to people in their 30s. It typically affects
people over 40. But it can happen sooner, especially if you've had a joint
injury. Being overweight may lead to OA of the knees because of the
increased stress on the joints. And family history may also play a role:
Middle-aged and older women with a family history of OA have a
particularly high risk of developing the disease. But while age is
considered a risk factor, OA is not an inevitable part of ageing.
