Preventing and Treating Osteoarthritis

Healthy joints are essential to fluid body movements such as bending, twisting, and stretching.  If you have healthy joints it makes simple movements seem like no problem- you can hike, run, and even just walk up a flight of stairs without thinking twice. When osteoarthritis affects your joints even the most simple movement can feel like grinding pain. Things that most of us take for granted are no longer easy to do-walking the dog, playing with the kids, or even just doing the dishes can become extremely painful.

Osteoarthritis is wear, tear, and breakdown on the cartilage surrounding the joints. Cartilage is essential to cushion your joints and stop your bones from rubbing together when you move. Although this condition mainly affects the older population, even younger people can suffer from it. If you have had major injuries or are genetically predisposed you are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis. The symptoms include aching joints, stiffness, muscle weakness, swelling, cracking and creaking of your joints, and even deformed joints depending on the severity of your condition.

If you think that you may be suffering from osteoarthritis it is best to see your doctor right away to confirm the symptoms are caused from arthritis and not something else. There are many different options for treatment but the effects will vary greatly from person to person. Some people benefit from acupuncture or hypnotherapy, and others find that pain relievers do the trick. The pain can also be treated with effective joint relief creams. Others who suffer from extreme cases may even have to undergo surgery to replace their joints.

There are some things that you can do to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis or prevent the condition from worsening. Start with working out regularly. Exercise is important for healthy joints. Not only does it work wonders for reducing joint pain and stiffness, but it usually results in weight loss which can be a big contributing factor to osteoarthritis. Being overweight puts unneeded strain on joints causing them to alter the structure of the joint itself. If you are already overweight and suffering from osteoarthritis you should consult with a physical therapist to determine a work out plan that is custom to your needs.