How to Take Better Care of Your Joints

When’s the last time you thanked your joints for all their hard work? They help you get up in the morning, cook delicious meals, hug your family, and so much more.

When your joints deteriorate over time from wear and tear, though, these same everyday actions can become painful. So, how do you protect your joints to prevent future issues, like osteoarthritis? Here are a few ways that you can show your joint a little more TLC.

1. Stretch regularly

You don’t have to do a full-fledged yoga routine every morning (although that would certainly help), but lightly stretching on a regular basis helps you exercise muscles around your joints and keep them flexible, erasing stiffness that can appear over time. Plus, the more your cartilage around your joints moves, the more your joint fluid helps refresh it, which reduces the likelihood of wear and tear.

2. Maintain a healthy weight

Losing weight isn’t an end-all-cure-all, but if you are overweight, this can help your joints out a lot. Extra weight around your knees and hips can strain them, adding heaps of pressure to those crucial joints. In fact, every pound you lose reduces the pressure on your knee by four pounds. Losing weight can actually help you slow down arthritis if those symptoms have begun for you as well, sometimes reducing pain by 20 percent for every ten pounds.

3. Avoid sitting for extended periods

If your job involves sitting in one spot for 8 hours a day, getting up and taking a lap is a good idea for your health. If your body moves less, it can mean more stiffness in your joints, which can lead to joint pain over time. Try and take a call standing up or take a small walk during lunch. Even small movements every day can help prevent joint pain!

4. Eat smart

It’s no secret that a burger a day will make the doctor stay, but making sure you get enough calcium is crucial to helping protect your joints in the future. Choose to eat more foods like yogurt, broccoli, kale, and others that contain calcium or vitamin D to help boost bone strength.

And don’t forget about your muscles! Strong, healthy muscles are also important to keeping your joints mobile and flexible. Eating more lean proteins, like beans or seafood, can help boost this as well.

5. Consider taking joint supplements

If your body needs it, it might be beneficial to take joint supplements like glucosamine or hyaluronic acid. Supplements like these have been shown to be beneficial for joint health and are recommended for osteoarthritis patients. These supplements are a great way to help your joints stay healthy and flexible for years to come.

For great joint care in South Carolina, consider visiting the experts at Carolina Orthopedics.

Carolina Orthopedics serves the Aiken and CSRA communities with high quality orthopedic care. Their team delivers accessible and affordable orthopedic diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation services, including sports medicine, reconstructive surgery and total joint replacement. They accept all insurance programs.