There are many reasons you may be more susceptible to having joint problems or pain. For example, retired athletes, whose joints and bones took a beating, regularly experience increased discomfort, as do individuals as they age due to natural wear and tear. For others, genetics plays a role, and they are more susceptible to problems due to their genes. Whatever the case, protecting your joints should be a part of your regular health routine, and it can be very easy with these simple tasks.
Consume Anti-Inflammatory Foods
There is much you can do to help improve your joints, muscles, and overall body health by consuming anti-inflammatory foods. Inflammation is a natural body response to disease, injury, or problems within the body. And while it is important for healing, prolonged inflammation can have negative effects on the body and prevent proper healing. Foods such as turmeric and leafy greens are both good choices to fight inflammation in the body.
Include Weight Bearing Exercises
The belief that exercise causes or exasperates joint problems, in many cases, is inaccurate and could be causing more harm than good. When it comes to the bones, they are regularly regenerating and creating new cells to stay healthy and alive. In order to do this, they need to be properly stimulated. One of the ways this happens is when weight is placed on the bone. This signals a reaction that causes the bone to create more cells and maintain its health. When your bones are healthy, they provide the support required to your joints and the joints are able to be healthier as well. The aging population regularly experiences joint issues because of weakening, unhealthy bones.
Maintain Muscle
Similar to your bones, muscle is an important supporting structure of joints. When you maintain and build muscle, you are also helping to maintain and build your joints. Stronger muscles that can support force and impact, for example, mean that the muscle is able to respond to the force, making it less extreme on the joint. Weak muscles induce the joints to compensate for the muscle’s inability and over time, this is hard on the joint, leading to wear and tear. This is an important part of knee care as the knees are often forced to take a lot of impact during walking, running, and jumping, especially when the large leg muscles like the quadriceps are weak.
When you take some time to focus on prevention instead of simply relying on treatment, listen to your body and ask for assistance when necessary, you may find that you can do a lot more to maintain your joint health than you realized.
If you are to the point when you feel seeing an orthopedic specialist might be necessary, request a consultation at the Orthopedic & Sports Institute (OSI). Please call (920) 560-1000 or request an appointment online.
OSI is Northeast Wisconsin’s exclusive provider of Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery for Hips & Knees.
The Orthopedic & Sports Institute has convenient locations to serve you. In addition to the flagship facility in Appleton, you will find outreach clinics in New London, Ripon, Shawano, Waupaca, and the newest location serving the Green Bay area, inside the NOVO Health Clinic in De Pere.
OSI now offers a Walk-In Clinic at its Appleton location for new, acute orthopedic injuries.
OSI is a proud member of NOVO Health.