Lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and exercise and reducing excess body weight can have the greatest effect on osteoarthritis. Developing relaxation and coping skills can help you maintain balance in your life, giving you a greater feeling of control over your arthritis and a more positive outlook.
Low-impact aerobic activities do not put stress on the joints and include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, water aerobics, light gardening, group exercise classes, and dancing.
While you may worry that exercising with osteoarthritis (OA) could harm your joints and cause more pain, research shows that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis.
If a person sits too long at their desk all day not only will their joints get stiff but their muscles will shorten. Muscle tightness can also increase stress on the joints which will then in-turn increase the pain in those joints affected by RA or OA.
Overweight and Obesity
Excess weight can also make knee osteoarthritis worse. Extra weight puts more stress on joints, particularly weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees.
If you are in a "flare-up episode of osteoarthritis", that is to say when a joint is hot and swollen and more painful than usual it is recommended to rest the joint. This means for a knee or hip, for example, not putting weight on the affected side but to use crutches for walking during the painful period.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints.
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) scientists have created a promising injectable cell therapy to treat osteoarthritis that both reduces inflammation and also regenerates articular cartilage.
Studies have shown fatigue to be common among people with osteoarthritis and a factor in their quality of life. 1 Fatigue is typically associated with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory rheumatic conditions, but it can be seen in osteoarthritis as well.
For arthritis that affects the joints, running, jogging, jumping rope, high impact aerobics or any other exercise where both feet are off the ground at the same time are to be avoided.
Everyone needs exercise, but it's especially important for people with arthritis. Exercise increases strength and makes moving easier. Exercise reduces joint pain and helps fight tiredness.
Walking is recommended for people with arthritis as it's low impact, helps to keep the joints flexible, helps bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. If you do experience pain or you're very stiff afterwards try doing a bit less, factor in more rest and check in with your GP, if you need to.
Get physically active. Experts recommend that adults engage in 150 minutes per week of at least moderate physical activity. Every minute of activity counts, and any activity is better than none. Moderate, low impact activities recommended include walking, swimming, or biking.
These include stiffness and difficulty moving, and loss of muscle tone, strength and stamina. Many people with OA also experience fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, social isolation, loss of work, financial difficulty and a general deterioration in quality of life.
Being physically active can reduce pain, improve function, mood, and quality of life for adults with arthritis. Regular physical activity can contribute to improved sleep and support bone health, brain health, and weight control.
Osteoarthritis is generally a slowly progressive disorder. However, at least 1 in 7 people with incident knee osteoarthritis develop an abrupt progression to advanced-stage radiographic disease, many within 12 months.
You can't reverse osteoarthritis, but there are things you can do to manage your pain and improve your symptoms. Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that acts as cushioning between your bones starts to fray and wear down over time.
Osteoarthritic joints have low levels of aggrecan, proteoglycan, type-II collagen, and runt-related transcription factor 1(RUNX1).
Possible complications of osteoarthritis include: Rapid, complete breakdown of cartilage resulting in loose tissue material in the joint (chondrolysis). Bone death (osteonecrosis). Stress fractures (hairline crack in the bone that develops gradually in response to repeated injury or stress).
The effect of humidity — moisture in the air — on arthritis pain is worse on wet winter days. For many people with arthritis, summer is a much-needed reprieve. Even when there is some humidity, arthritis pain tends to be better on warmer, sunnier days.
Keep your spine in line.
Sleep with your head, neck, and spine in a straight line. Don't keep your head tilted far to one side, or too far forward or backward on the pillow. Sleep on your back or side, not your tummy. You have to twist your neck to breathe if you lie on your stomach.