January 22, 2025, by bbztlg
Five simple tips for joint health
Oliver O’Sullivan is a PhD researcher in the School of Medicine, investigating the use of blood tests to predict the development of osteoarthritis after injury. His research interests are the prediction and prevention of osteoarthritis, especially after injury, in young, active populations such as sports people and the military.
Osteoarthritis is a disease which affects our joints, making them painful, stiff and makes certain activities more difficult. These types of osteoarthritis, especially the ones after injury (‘post traumatic osteoarthritis’), can happen two or three years after an injury, and affect people in their 20’s. At the moment, there are no specific drugs available to help this painful, disabling condition, with many sufferers requiring surgery at the end stage of the disease.
However, the good news is that a lot can be done to help you and those you love. We all agree that prevention is better than cure, and these five simple tips will help reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis if you have had a joint injury in the past (we call this ‘secondary prevention’) or help you live better with this condition if you already have a diagnosis (also known as ‘tertiary prevention’).
1) Learn
We used to think that Osteoarthritis was an age-related, degenerative joint disease. We know that this is not true. Osteoarthritis is a condition that occurs because of different risk factors, including our genes, our immune system, our general health, any other medical problems and injuries, and any inflammation. Because we know all this, we are better able to treat it, and if you know all about it, you will be better able to manage it. Read reputable sources, such as those on Versus Arthritis or Free From Knee Pain, and discuss them with your loved ones or healthcare professionals.
2) Move
There was previously a belief that activity wears away our joints and makes Osteoarthritis worse. We know this is not true. We also know that our joints heal better when we use them, and we feel better when we move. It is good to do activities that make your heart beat faster (we call this ‘ cardiovascular exercise’) and activities that make us stronger (we call these ‘strength and conditioning’), but we also believe that the most important component of activity is fun.
Take up activities that you enjoy, and do them on your own or with friends. Group activities at your local gym or guided activities such as ‘Couch to 5k’ might be helpful. Your joints are likely to ache at the start, but this is ok, it will get better, and you can take pain relievers to help you when you first start.
3) Think
Consider what activities you do – both those you need to do and those that you want to do. Do any of these make your symptoms worse? Consider if there is an alternative, such as another way to perform household tasks, or some workplace adaptions you could speak to your employer about, or if you could switch your favourite activity (such as playing football) to one which is less likely to cause pain or symptoms (such as swimming). Do the things you want and need to do, but think about how they make you feel and if there are better ways to do them.
4) Eat
We know that certain foods make Osteoarthritis worse. Foods that are highly processed, so-called ‘ultra-processed foods’, have been seen to cause inflammation in our bodies, which leads to increased weight and worse symptoms. The fuel we put in our car impacts its performance, and we are no different. Using the simple rule of ‘if the ingredient list contains words you don’t understand, you can’t get in your kitchen, or your granny has never heard of’, it is probably better to consider an alternative. In addition, healthy eating helps us to obtain and maintain a healthy weight, which provides many benefits (individuals with a high body weight have more advanced osteoarthritis, higher levels of inflammation and worse feelings of pain). There is no need for a fad or crash diet; just eat well and be well.
5) Sleep
We know that a good nights sleep (and a cup of tea!) makes everything better. How we feel is influenced by our sleep, with poor or lack of sleep contributing to worse pain and symptoms and a negative outlook (such as feeling grumpy or blue). We have also recently discovered that the same thing happens in our joints! Our body’s natural rhythm (the ‘circadian rhythm’) is related to the growth and repair of cartilage, a vital component of our joints, and when our sleep is disturbed, our joint health is too. Using general principles, such as the 10-3-2-1 rule (no caffeine for 10 hours, food for 3 hours, work for 2 hours and screen time for 1 hour before bed), can help.
These five simple and easily applied tips will improve your chances of developing osteoarthritis after a joint injury and will also improve your experience of the disease if you already have the condition. Look after your joints, and they will look after you. We should think about our joint healthspan as well as our joint lifespan.
Can you “learn, move, think, eat, sleep”? Not so scary after all!
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