Joint Health
About joints
The joints are the reason behind every movement you do with your body parts. A joint is a place where two or more bones are joined together. They can be rigid, like the joints between the bones in your skull, or they can move like the joints between the bones in knees, hips, shoulders, elbow, etc. Cartilages are present on the ends of the bones where they come together in many of the joints. This cartilage is very important for the movement as they help bones to glide over one another. The cartilage provides protection to the bones by preventing them from rubbing against each other. But due to unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle the joints get damaged and restrict the movements which lead to other disease also.
Disorders of joints
There are many disorders of the joints which can affect the daily routines. Some of the disorders are discussed below-
• Osteoarthritis- this is the most common type of disorder and it occur especially to older people. In this disorder the surface cartilage gets damaged due to age factor or unhealthy lifestyle and this lead to rubbing of bones together. This rubbing causes pain, swelling and loss of motion in the joints.
• Rheumatoid arthritis- it’s an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the cartilage between the joints which causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function.
• Congenital disorders of joint- in this, the disease is transferred from generation to generation during fetal life or soon after the delivery.
• Psoriasis- this is disease causes of lots of pain and swelling.
• Gout- the accumulation of uric acid in the joints which cause extreme pain and loss of motion.
• Inflammation
Causes of disorders
There are various reasons behind the joint disorders. Some of the common reasons behind the disorders of joints are as follows-
• Unhealthy lifestyle- due to improper diet and other unhealthy eating behavior the body don’t get required nutrients which lead to damage of the cartilage and this causes disorders.
• Aging- with growing age the cartilage between the joints get thinner slowly and slowly and this lead to pain and swelling in the joints.
• Sometime the disease is transferred from generation to generation during fetal life or soon after the delivery.
• Sedentary behavior- this is one of the major causes of all diseases occurring to the human body and is also the reason behind the disorders of the joints.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of the joint disorders are as follows-
• Swelling in the joints
• Pain in the joints
• Difficulty in movements
• Deformities in the joints
• The clicking sound coming from the joints
• Stiffness in the joints
• Swelling in the muscles around the joints
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Muscle stiffness
• Loss of energy
• Redness
• Headaches
Treatment
The treatments of the joint disorders are as follows:
• Sometimes the problems in the joints are due the some inflammatory disease so treatment of that underlying inflammatory disease and decrease inflammation which can reduce the symptoms of joint problems.
• There are various medications to relieve the pains of the joints.
• There are various exercises for the strengthening and increasing the life of the joints.
• There are physical therapies to relieve and cure the pain of the joints.
• Use braces, splints or canes to reduce the stress on the joints.
Preventive measures
There are no sure ways to prevent joint disorders, but you can help to prevent, that is, reduce your risk, and delay the potential onset of certain types of joint disorders. Some of the preventive measures are as follows-
• Maintain a healthy weight to reduce the stress on joints
• Do not smoke
• Eat balanced diet, low in sugar, alcohol and purines
• Prevent accidents or injuries on the joints
Myths and facts
Myth- All the joint pains and disorders are arthritis
Fact- There are many types of arthritis, but swollen, achy joint does not mean you have one of them. To deduct arthritis you need proper diagnosis.
Myth- Popping knuckles causes arthritis.
Fact- The popping sound made by your joints is the extra nitrogen gas that dissolves in your blood.
Myth- Dry, warm weather helps relieve joint pain.
Fact- During the dry weather there is less pressure on your joints, but this dint mean that it relieves your pain.
Myth- Exercise aggravates the joint pain
Fact- Exercise helps you prevent from joint disorders and strengthen your joints.
Things to remember
Healthy joints help in walking, running, jumping, playing and let you do other things you want. So do remember the following things-
• Daily physical activity will strengthen your joints and will keep them in good health.
• Eat healthy, balanced diet to maintain the good health of the joints.
• Avoid injuries
• Get plenty of sleep to keep yourself and your joints healthy.
