7 Steps to Healthier Joints
These seven steps will help preserve the cartilage you have, strengthen the muscles that support your joints, and help you live with greater mobility and less pain.
Your joints are like the hinges that keep the doors of your body moving smoothly. Whether it's walking, bending, or simply turning our heads, your joints facilitate these movements effortlessly when they're in good condition.
However, neglecting their care can lead to discomfort, pain and even restricted mobility. Once joints begin to protest, it’s too late to turn back the clock.
Joint pain can often come from damage to cartilage, ligaments and/or muscles/tendons. Your joints need healthy cartilage, strong ligaments, and well-functioning muscle/tendon units to function. Cartilage, ligaments, muscles and tendons can become damaged or degenerate over time. Once tissue is damaged or degenerates because of arthritic changes, it will never be the same. But there are things you can do to maintain these tissues so you can have healthier joints.
Cartilage, Ligaments and Tendons
First let's understand what cartilage, ligaments and tendons are. Cartilage is the tissue that covers the end of bones acting like both a shock absorber and a lubricant. It helps the bones that make up our joints slide against each other more easily when we move. This shock absorbing tissue can wear out over time due to overuse or injury. As cartilage deteriorates in the case of injury or arthritis, you may develop bone spurs and movement can become stiff and painful. Ligaments are bands of tough, elastic connective tissue that surround a joint to give it support. They also limit the joint's movement. Ligaments can tear or become strained. Joints may become unstable when ligaments are damaged. Tendons are tough cords of tissue that hold muscles to bones. When muscles contract, tendons react, causing bones to move. Inflammation of the tendons may result from overuse. Too much stress on joints can tear and inflame tendons.7 Steps to Healthier Joints
There steps can help preserve the cartilage, strengthen the muscles that support joints, and help you live with greater mobility and less pain. 1. Kick the habit: There’s no shortage of information on how smoking can harm the heart, lungs, and other organ systems, but did you know that it can affect your joints, too? Smoking increase inflammation throughout the body, making it more difficult for your body to recover from injury or overuse. That includes harm and wear and tear to cartilage. 2. Kick up your heals: While overuse of joints can lead to trouble, it’s important to remember your "hinges" were designed for motion. Regular, moderate, physical activity can relieve pain and stiffness, strengthen the muscles that support your joints, help with weight management, and improve balance, reducing the risk of falling and damaging your joints. If you aren’t normally active, choose exercises that are gentle to decrease your risk of injury. It’s also important to vary activities to improve your overall flexibility, strength and range of motion. Some good choices include:- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Walking
- Swimming
- Strength training with light weights or resistance bands
- Stand up straight with your shoulders back and down.
- Keep your head level and in line with your body.
- Tuck your abdomen in and tilt your pelvis slightly forward.
- Keep your feet shoulder width apart.
- Place your back against the back of the chair.
- Keep your head level and in line with your body.
- Feet should be flat on the floor.
- Maintain a small space between the backs of your knees and the chair.
- Make sure your knees are at the same height or slightly lower than your hips.
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Swordfish
- Egg yolks
- Fortified milk, juices and cereals