Did you know that osteoarthritis is a “young disease”? This is not an alarmist statement. Osteoarthritis occurs in older adults and is called “aging arthritis,” but it actually starts at a younger age. One surprising figure is that 90 percent of adults in their 40s have osteoarthritic changes in weight-bearing joints, meaning the hip, knee, ankle, foot and spine.
Although most are asymptomatic, when they get older, they experience pain, deformity, limited movement and, in severe cases, wasting away. how many people over the age of 65 live with painful joints? Maybe we take it for granted and think that’s what older people should get. In fact, osteoarthritis is a disease that starts at a young age and develops over a long period of time, leading to serious consequences. Therefore, the prevention of osteoarthritis needs to start at a young age.
The knee joint is the site with the highest incidence of osteoarthritis because of its special characteristics of being both weight-bearing and flexible.
Here are six basic principles to prevent osteoarthritis of the knee.
1. C Control weight (Maintain IdealBody Weight).
When walking, the knee is subjected to 3-6 times the force of the body weight. What does this mean? It means that when a person takes a 10 kg bag of rice, then with each step, the force on his knee will increase by 30-60 kg; if Mr. B is 10 kg heavier than Mr. A, then his daily life, compared with A, the knee is like carrying a 30-60 kg bag of rice forever. And that’s just in walking condition, not to mention in strenuous exercise (such as when running and jumping). Therefore, reducing weight reduces the stress on the weight-bearing joints and reduces wear and tear.
2, regular exercise (ExerciseRegularly).
The phrase “life is in motion” covers the life of the joints. The healthiest exercise program for the joints is 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity every day, no less than five days a week. Of course, low-intensity exercise (walking, for example) is also useful and better than no exercise at all. Joints, like cars, lose vitality and are prone to breakdowns and shortened life spans if you don’t use them regularly.
The best exercise for the knee joint is cycling, swimming, etc. Many people ask why cycling is good for the knee joint, the reason is simple, when cycling, most of the body weight in the buttocks, the knee force is small.
3, learn to protect the joints (Protect YourJoints).
a. Warm up before exercise, appropriate amount of activity, stretching. If it is a strenuous exercise, confrontation sports, warm-up time should not be less than 10 minutes.
b, joint warmth, avoid cold, moisture ~ there is a thing called knee pads. The author’s right shoulder had discomfort this summer because the electric fan was placed next to his right shoulder when he slept at night.
c, strengthen the thigh muscles, especially the quadriceps strength, such as riding a stationary bike.
d. Calcium supplementation, especially for women over 40 years old. When osteoporosis, the joints are prone to disease ~ it is like a house with a weak foundation, the walls will easily fall.
e. Considering the modern diet, please pay attention to the uric acid indicator and do not have gout. People who love to drink have to be more snacks.
f, exercise, or not exercise, should choose a pair of appropriate shoes. Flexible, thick-soled sneakers with a wide and slightly thick heel are best for the joints.
4, avoid continuous force on the joints (Avoid RepetitiveStress on the Joints).
Climbing, when the muscle strength is not strong enough, to stop. Long-term need to squat to work, move a low stool, can effectively “save” the life of the knee joint. Avoid putting too much weight on your knee in your daily life. If you have to stand still for a long time, you should move deliberately.
Muscle fatigue must be rested, muscle weakness, the impact on the joint injury increased exponentially.
5. Pay attention to pain symptoms (Listen to YourPain).
When the joint has soreness and discomfort, indicating that it begins to go wrong, it may be too much exercise, or lack of exercise. This time you should rest and see how the next step in the development.
Pain that is a signal to stop exercising. An effective balance of rest and exercise is the best guarantee of joint health.
6. Do not be indifferent to knee injuries (Avoid Injury toJoints).
Knee injuries when you are young are one of the main causes of osteoarthritis in old age. The knee structure is complex and so are the injuries, but whether it’s a cartilage injury, meniscal injury or ligament injury, there are serious consequences for not treating it promptly. When an injury occurs, go to a medical professional sooner rather than later.
One more thing that has been said before: when the knee joint is swollen, it often suggests a heavy injury within it.
As a final note, for older people, whose legs are no longer good, these principles, obviously, are also useful. I hope everyone has healthy knees.