Is It Possible to Prevent Arthritis?
Wearing a copper bracelet around your wrist – if only preventing arthritis was that simple. But you really can take steps to protect your joints at your workplace, on the playing field and in your day-to-day life. And you’re never too young – being proactive now may help keep you arthritis-free in the future.
When Jobs Threaten Joints
What do hairstylists, jackhammer operators, paper cutters, sheep shearers and veterinary techs have in common? Their work involves repetitive movements that can damage joints over time, says Jonathan Krant, chief of rheumatology for Adirondack Health Systems in Saranac Lake, New York.
For instance, hairstylists who continually use their hands and wrists in clipping or snipping motions are at risk for overuse injury. This can lead to debilitating arthritis in the fingers and base of the thumb, Krant says. Think about “ways of cushioning the blows [and] decreasing your hand and wrist overuse,” he advises, such as using automated clippers and other joint-sparing devices. He suggests talking to employers about creative ways to limit exposure and find workarounds for risky repetitive tasks.
Pulsating jackhammers have an impact of 1,500 or so blows per minute. That makes the tool great for breaking up concrete but not so good for construction workers’ hands, wrists or especially backs, Krant notes, as the jackhammer sends repetitive shocks to the lumbar spine. Some newer, lighter-weight jackhammers are designed to reduce harmful vibrations.
Office workers may not deal with heavy machinery but they’re not immune to joint injuries. The Arthritis Society (based in Canada) offers expert advice adapted from their upcoming “Joint Matters at Work” module:
If you sit at work, ensure you chair supports your lower and mid-back and your elbow rests at a 90-degree angle to the keyboard. Sit straight with square shoulders, and walk around every 20 minutes.
If you stand, keep straight and keep moving. Adjust your workstation to match your size and activity; sit when possible; stay flexible; use footrests to shift weight from one leg to another; use elbow supports for precision work to reduce tension; and wear supportive footwear.
If you’re active, give your body a break. Slow down and take regular short breaks, and change an activity to reduce stress on joints.
If you lift objects, plan your movements first. Keep the load close to your waist, push heavy objects, keep your head up and back straight as possible, and distribute weight evenly.
No matter what you do, stretch your joints regularly to prevent stiffness and pain. Consider assistive devices to make repetitive movements easier on joints.
Read: 13 Things to Know Before Your Hip Replacement
Not Inevitable
Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, affects about 30 million Americans. In healthy joints, cartilage provides cushioning, acting as a shock absorber and allowing bones to move smoothly over each other. But in arthritis, cartilage is broken down and lost. Joints may change in shape, bone spurs can form and it can be more and more painful and debilitating. Osteoarthritis is most likely to affect the hips, knees, neck, lower back, fingertip joints and thumbs. Symptoms range from mild joint tenderness and gradual loss of range of motion to chronic pain and worsening disability that can diminish quality of life, eventually sending people to an orthopedic surgeon for joint replacement.
While osteoarthritis is most often seen in people over 65, the myth that “everyone gets it as they get older – that just isn’t true,” says Marc Hochberg, a professor of medicine, epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Another myth is that osteoarthritis is simply a matter of wear and tear, or degeneration, Hochberg says. Instead, he explains, it’s a complex biochemical process of cartilage cells trying to heal areas of damage, but unsuccessfully. Family history, genetics, age, gender, hormones, race/ethnicity – factors beyond a person’s control – may all play in. Where you can make a difference is weight management and injury prevention.
Hochberg says downhill skiing, competition-level basketball, soccer and volleyball are among the sports tied to knee injuries. Even so, he says, he wouldn’t tell people not to do those sports, but to be careful. “We certainly don’t want to recommend that people don’t exercise,” he says, “because physical activity is so important to health for so many reasons.”
Read: Diet vs. Exercise: A Healthy Habit Showdown
Young Athletes and Arthritis
Youth sports place athletes at risk, Krant says, especially those that involve impact and torque, such as basketball, soccer and hockey. In basketball, players can make sudden pivots and twisting motions as they rebound, and ligament tears can happen when “the planted foot doesn’t pivot with the twisted knee.”
After ligament injury and repair surgery, Krant says, it’s almost “a sure bet that you’re going to have early osteoarthritis.” So it’s really important for young athletes to build up their quadriceps and hamstrings with weightlifting and resistance training to protect their knees.
In baseball, pitchers’ shoulder joints can suffer from overuse involving “excessive torque” while throwing, he says, and this contributes to tears in the labrum and rotator cuff, “both disposing to shoulder arthritis in the decades to come.”
His tips for young athletes include:
Employ reason. Don’t overdo it. A twinge often precedes injury; listen to your body.
Don’t “play through it.” Your body is talking to you and telling you to stop and assess.
Ice it. Cooling an injured joint or extremity is usually the first step on the path to restoring function.
Team sports are valuable in many ways, he adds, and the benefits of not being a couch potato outweigh the risks – as long as coaches, parents and players keep proper body mechanics in the forefront. The emphasis should be on fun, he says, rather than winning at all costs.
Awareness is improving in some ways, with youth baseball leagues paying closer attention to pitch counts and body mechanics than in the past. And some experts say rotating between sports, instead of specializing at an early age, can be a good way for young athletes to avoid overuse of specific muscle groups.
A recent study found neuromuscular training can reduce ACL injuries in girls. The Knee Injury Prevention Program for Coaches is available through the Institute for Sports Medicine at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The program is free, including videos of all exercises, says study leader and sports medicine specialist Cynthia LaBella.
Read: How to Know if You’re Exercising Too Much
Obesity and Osteoarthritis
According to The Arthritis Society, each extra pound of body weight loads on another 6 pounds of stress to a joint.
Hochberg, who was chairman of an American College of Rheumatology task for to updateosteoarthritis prevention and treatment recommendations, says for young and middle-aged adults who are obese or overweight, “the recommendation is that they lose weight – preferably 10 percent of their body weight – through a combination of nutritional counseling and exercise,” although he admits it’s not easy.
Read: A Guide to Healthy Aging
Adults and Activity
Joint-sparing exercise such as swimming, pool aerobics and cycling (on the road or a stationary bike) are “wonderful” if relatively underused choices, Krant says. Running’s role in arthritis is still up for debate, he says – despite the pounding, he sees many runners continuing well into their 70s without problems. One thing he advises: Don’t scrimp on impact-reducing insole supports and quality athletic shoes.
In his work, including his role as medical director of Creakyjoints, a support group for people with arthritis, Krant see the toll the condition can take. “The number-one cause of hip and knee joint replacement in osteoarthritis is pain – because often people just can’t function with that terrible pain,” he says. And while the surgery clearly helps, he says, ”what if we could prevent the joint replacement from being necessary?” Of all the things young people have on their minds, arthritis prevention isn’t one of them. But “throwing yourself around with impunity will catch up with you,” Krant warns – with the admitted hindsight of someone played who basketball into his 40s and has since had three surgeries and “no cartilage in either knee.” By preventing common joint injuries, he says, “we’d have a lot of happy 50- and 60-year-olds. But there are a lot of college athletes hobbling now.”
