Hey, is your joints okay?

When to late autumn, the weather turned cold, and many people’s arthritis broke out again. Symptoms such as joint soreness, morning stiffness, difficulty in getting up and down stairs, etc., have seriously affected the quality of life. How to prevent and treat arthritis has also become a topic that everyone has been paying attention to. How to prevent and treat arthritis has also become a topic that everyone has been paying attention to.

Currently, there are 355 million people with arthritis worldwide. In Asia, one out of every six people develops arthritis at some point in their lives. Health Day in October each year, there is a World Arthritis Day. The purpose is to remind people to prevent, early diagnosis, early treatment of arthritis and prevent disability.

Is arthritis and osteoarthritis the same thing?

Arthritis refers to inflammatory diseases that occur in the joints of the human body and its surrounding tissues. It can be divided into dozens. The clinical manifestations are redness, swelling, heat, pain, dysfunction and joint deformity of the joint. Severe cases lead to joint disability and affect the quality of life of patients.

Among the dozens of arthritis, the most common is osteoarthritis. According to statistics, 50% of people over the age of 50 have osteoarthritis, and 80% of people over 75 have this disease. The main lesions are degenerative changes of articular cartilage and secondary bone hyperplasia, which are more common in middle-aged and elderly people, more women than men, occur in large weight-bearing knee, hip, spine and joints of the fingers and other parts. Other arthritis includes rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc., and is associated with many factors such as infection, autoimmunity, and biochemistry.

What are the symptoms of arthritis?

Pain, swelling and dysfunction are the most common symptoms of arthritis. In the case of osteoarthritis, the pain is mainly caused by the pain of the knee joint when it starts to move, and it is relieved after a little activity. However, when the weight and knee joint activity is too much, the pain will be aggravated. As the disease progresses, joint instability occurs, the range of joint flexion and extension activities decreases, and walking ability decreases. In particular, the ability to lower the steps, squat, run, jump, etc. is more obvious. Swelling is not necessarily related to the degree of pain.

How to prevent arthritis in their daily lives?

Osteoarthritis patients in life should adhere to the “five noes” principle.

(1) Don’t overweight: Because excessive weight is an additional stress and burden on the joints, especially weight-bearing joints. When walking or running, the entire knee is subjected to a force equivalent to 3 to 6 times the weight, and joint damage and pain are exacerbated.

(2) Appropriate activities: When the condition worsens, many patients with osteoarthritis become more and more reluctant to move. Over time, the muscles shrink, and the overall strength, balance, and coordination are affected. As the stiffness and instability of the joints increase, the risk of falling increases. Patients with knee arthritis can walk, swim, bike or practice yoga properly. Patients with problems with shoulder or cervical vertebra suggest juggling. Custom juggling balls are a very popular sport. Patients with problems with finger joints can choose a pressure ball. Different strength grip balls are suitable for different patients to treat the knuckles.

(3) Don’t hurt your joints: Joint damage can cause further cartilage damage, which can lead to increased pain and reduced flexibility of the joint. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid repetitive motions that are likely to damage the joints or actions that are too strong.

(4) Don\'t ignore the pain: Arthritis patients may deal with pain every day. If the pain worsens, you need to add medication or use some auxiliary equipment to relieve it. It is also helpful to take a break or apply a heat or cold treatment.

(5) Don\'t hide from the doctor: Many patients seem to have a misconception about osteoarthritis and believe that there is no good way to control symptoms. In fact, there are many effective treatments today, which require long-term attention and treatment, and the help and guidance of professional doctors is extremely important. Therefore, please establish a good relationship with the doctor to fight the disease together.