Tips for healthy joints -Maintaining-healthy joints

Joints form the connections between bones. They provide support and help you move. Any damage to the joints from disease or injury can interfere with your movement and cause a lot of discomfort and pain. It is very important to have healthy joints.

Many conditions can lead to painful joints, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, strains, and sprains.

Joint pain is very common but the most common is knee pain. And as we age the wear and tear on the joints cause inflammation of the joints and this the #1 cause of pain

Some Remedies that can relieve pain

Joint pain can range from mildly irritating to debilitating. It may go away after a few weeks or last for several months.

Even short-term pain and swelling in the joints can affect your quality of life. Whatever the cause of joint pain, you can manage it. Some remedies that can alleviate pain are:-

• Pain medication (Tylenol, ) if the pain is severe a muscle relaxer (NASID)
• Topical ointments (Ben Gay. Etc)
• Steroid Injections
• The join can be iced for 15 min per day
• Physiotherapy

Pain motivates the individual to withdraw from damaging situations to protect the damaged part of the body and because of this, the thought of physiotherapy is not appealing.

Lifestyle changes will help

When you have arthritis, your body is in an inflammatory state. What you eat may not only increase inflammation, it can also set you up for other chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

1. Sugars

It may be hard to resist desserts, pastries, chocolate bars, sodas, even fruit juices. Keep a sharp lookout for Fructose or sucrose on food lab

2. Saturated Fats
Several studies have shown that saturated fats trigger adipose (fat tissue) inflammation, which is not only an indicator of heart disease but it also worsens arthritis inflammation. Pizza and cheese are the biggest sources of saturated fats in the average American diet, according to the

3. Trans Fat

Trans fat can be found in fast foods and other fried products, processed snack foods, frozen breakfast products, cookies, donuts, crackers, and most stick margarine. Avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredient label.
4. Omega 6 Fatty A acids

The body needs a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Excess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals. These fatty acids are found in oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, soy, peanut, and vegetable; mayonnaise; and many salad dressings.

5. Refined Carbohydrate
White flour products (bread, rolls, crackers) white rice, white potatoes (instant mashed potatoes, or french fries) and many kinds of cereal are refined carbohydrates. According to Scientific American, processed carbohydrates may trump fats as the main driver of escalating rates of obesity and other chronic conditions. These high-glycemic index foods fuel the production of advanced glycation end (AGE) products that stimulate inflammation.
6. MSG

Mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor-enhancing food additive most commonly found in prepared Asian food and soy sauce, but it can also be added to fast foods, prepared soups and soup mixes, salad dressings and deli meats. This chemical can trigger two important pathways of chronic inflammation, and affect liver health.

7. Gluten and Casein

People who have joint pain and are sensitive to gluten, found in wheat, barley, and rye, or casein, found in dairy products, may find relief by avoiding them.

8. Aspartame

If you are sensitive to this chemical, your immune system may react to the “foreign substance” by attacking the chemical, which in return, will trigger an inflammatory response.

OBESITY AND JOINT HEALTH

Osteoarthritis, OA, is the most common type of arthritis, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. It is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage – the flexible but tough connective tissue that covers the ends of bones at joints. Age, injury, heredity and lifestyle factors all affect the risk of OA

Every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees. So a person who is 10 pounds overweight has 40 pounds of extra pressure on the knees; if a person is 100 pounds overweight that is 400 pounds of extra pressure on the knees says Dr. Matteson, So for good joints we need to watch out the weight.

EASY EXERCISES FOR KNEE JOINTS.

 

Exercising an arthritic knee may seem counter-intuitive, but regular exercise can actually lessen — and even relieve — arthritis pain and other symptoms, such as stiffness and swelling.

• Exercise maintains the joints full range of motion
• Exercise strengthens the muscle that supports the joint.
• Strong muscles help the joint absorb shock.

LEG RAISE

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor or bed with your arms at your sides, toes up.
2. Keep your leg straight while tightening your leg muscles, and slowly lift it several inches.
3. Tighten your stomach muscles to push your lower back down.
4. Hold and count to 5, then lower your leg as slowly as possible.
5. Repeat, then switch to the other leg.

Start with 1 set of 4 for each leg.
HAMSTRING STRETCH (lying on the floor or bed with both legs bent.)

1. Slowly lift one leg, still bent, and bring your knee back toward your chest.
2. Link your hands behind your thigh, not your knee, and straighten your leg.
3. Pull your straight leg back toward your head until you feel the stretch.
4. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then slowly bend your knee and lower your leg back to the floor.

Do the stretch one time for each leg
HALF SQUAT

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart and stretch your arms out in front of you.
2. Slowly bend your knees until you’re in a half-sitting position. Hold on to a chair for balance, if necessary.
3. Keep your back straight and chest lifted — don’t lean forward.
4. With your feet flat on the floor, hold the position for 5 seconds, then slowly stand back up
5. .DO 10 repetitions then slowly work up to 3 sets of 10repetitions

ONE LEG DIP

1. Stand between two chairs and hold on to them for balance.
2. Lift one leg about 12 inches and hold it out in front of you.
3. Slowly, keeping your back straight, bend the other leg and lower your body a few inches, as if you were about to sit in a chair. Don’t cross the lifted leg in front of the bent leg.
4. Hold for 5 seconds and straighten back up.
5. Repeat and switch legs Work up to 3 sets of 10 per leg

LEG STRETCH

Sit on the floor with both legs out straight. Stabilize yourself with your hands on either side of your hips, and keep your back straight.

1. Slowly bend one knee until it feels stretched, but not until it becomes painful.
2. Hold your leg in that position for 5 seconds, then slowly straighten your leg out as far as you can, again holding for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times each leg

So as we can see in order to maintain healthy joints it is important to refrain from eating foods that will promote inflammation, keep out weight to a normal level as much as possible and above all KEEP MOVING. I know we sometimes have a sedentary lifestyle but we must try to fit even15 minutes for exercise in our daily lives, it is very important especially for us baby boomers.

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read my post I really do appreciate it. There is a space provided below for questions and comments feel free to leave your questions and or comments and I will reply

I have also left a link to Silver Sneakers easy exercise  hope you like it