Why do we need to take care of your joints?
Joint care – how to look after your joints – is important because it will protect your neck, spine, shoulders, elbows, wrist, back, hips, and knees. These are the main supporters of your body weight. It increases your bones and joints health and fitness, keeping them flexible. That helps to prevent joint pain. and strengthens bones and joints
Looking after your bones and joints also improves your balance. Better balance reduces the risk of falls, which could break bones. Bones and joints care helps prevent bone diseases such as osteoporosis – which has no cure – and arthritis, which can be debilitatingly painful.
Smooth tissue called cartilage and synovium and a lubricant called synovial fluid, cushion the joints so bones do not rub together. Practices that support bones and joint health include: good sleep, wholesome meals, good supporting shoes, taking joints supplements to make up for any nutrient deficit, and regular exercise, amongst other things. All that helps to improve joint health naturally.
Ways to Protect Aging Knees and Joints: Video
You might have heard that you need to treat your joints with care, and that anything you do to them will be beneficial. The question is, how well do you really take care of your bones and joints?
Joints are made up of different parts including bones, cartilage, muscle and connective tissues. As your body gets older, it suffers from cartilage lubrication loss. Therefore, it is vital to pay attention to your joints and ensure they stay flexible.
Here are the top 9 ways to look after your joints, especially as an elderly person:
how to look after your joints: Regular Exercise
A key way to look after your joints is to have regular exercise. Regular exercise keeps your body limber, and helps prevent accidents that might affect your joints. It helps in strengthening tendons and ligaments.
Exercising promotes flexibility and joint movements. It also helps to keep away joint pain, which may be caused by injury, inactivity, arthritis and other degenerative diseases.
Stretching is an essential aspect of exercising. It helps to reduce joint inflammation and keeps your joints healthy. You can practice various stretches, like the hamstring stretch, the forward bend and the deep pelvic tilt, to name a few.
Exercises, such as pilates and yoga, may be useful in improving balance. Better balance reduces the risk of falls, which could break bones. It also strengthens your muscles, so they can better protect and support your joints by absorbing more stress and impact of every step you take.
Your joints may become stiffer if you remain inactive. For instance, if you spend most of your time sitting down or driving, the chances of developing arthritis are high. According to arthrosurface, inactivity can cause various health risks such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. It can also lead to weight gain, weakened muscles, and joint pain.
10 Exercises For Bone Health: Video
Regular exercise such as cycling and swimming, are low-impact exercises. Low-impact exercises help to keep your bones and joints supple and flexible. They are particularly helpful if you have bone conditions such as arthritis, as the water supports your joints.
Also, try regular stretches, yoga or walking to maintain good flexibility and tone, without creating pressure or discomfort to your joints.
How To Look After Your Joints: Body Posture
Maintaining good posture is another way to look after your joints. It is key to preventing joint issues as your muscles and skeletal system work together to put less strain on your joints. It is an easy way to keep your muscles and bones strain-free.
Poor body posture limits your range of motion and makes it so much harder for your muscles to take the load off your joints. In time, poor posture can cause misalignment of the spine, leading to even more joint stress and pain.
The benefits of good posture: Video
Correct posture is crucial for your overall health and especially true for your joints’ health. It’s something physiotherapists can work with you to help you achieve.
Try to maintain good posture by standing straight with your head above your shoulders, your shoulders above your hips and your stomach held in.
Exercise, yoga and Tai Chi are excellent ways to improve your flexibility and posture. When performing any exercise, maintain a comfortable upright posture and keep your breathing regular. And exercise smartly. Slowly build up your endurance, by starting slow at first, then increasing your pace and range of motion with time.
how to look after your joints: Joint Supplements
You can use many supplements to improve your muscle and bone health. Some supplements such as Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), and Fish oil are some of the supplements you can use to repair damaged cartilage.
Glucosamine is a building block of cartilage while chondroitin aids in producing new cartilage. Together with vitamin C, these substances help maintain your joint’s flexibility.
Top 7 Supplements for Joint Pain (that actually works!): Video
However, be sure to read the label carefully, because each supplement has its own function. It is essential that you go for a supplement that meets your needs. Your doctor, nutritionist or dietician will be best placed to advice you on the best joint supplement for your specific needs.
The basic idea of taking supplements for the joints is to help boost its healing process. And maintain their flexibility. You can also do so by eating foods rich in antioxidants. These include Blueberries, Green tea, Beans, Dark Chocolate, Spinach and Kale, amongst others.
Antioxidants help look after your joints by preventing the damage caused by free radicals. These are harmful substances produced in the body. And are known to cause wrinkles, age spots and other age-related problems.
Wholesome Foods/ Diet
Eating the wrong foods weaken your bones and joints. And cause weight gain, which puts unnecessary pressure on your joints.
A healthy diet is one of the key ways to look after your bones and joints. This means that the joints suffer if you eat a lot of fatty or processed foods. On the other hand, foods rich in protein like chicken, eggs and fish are good for your joint’s health.
Diets high in vitamins C and K, calcium, magnesium, zinc and manganese are key for bone and joint health. These include oranges, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, kale spring onions, broccoli, milk, beans, nuts, oatmeal, oysters, beef, seeds, chickpeas, brown rice, soybeans and pineapple, to mention a few.
Best Foods and Supplements for Healthy Joints: Video
Fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which help to fight the inflammation associated with arthritis. Antioxidants also slow cartilage degeneration and joint damage. Vitamins A, C and E are powerful antioxidants.
Brightly/ deeply coloured foods – blueberries, peppers, oranges, carrots, red cabbage, melons, tomatoes and sweet potatoes – are high in antioxidants. Therefore they are ideal choices. The brighter the colour, the more antioxidants they tend to have, And spices as well.
These foods help prevent bone conditions such as Osteoporosis, Arthritis and Lupus. Osteoporosis can be relieved but has no cure, so do make sure you do what you can to prevent it.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients also keep your weight and joints healthy and pain-free. Remember your 5 portions of vegetables a day – ideally of different colours – to give you that range of nutrients and antioxidants.
how to look after your joints: Supportive Footwear
Joint pain can also be due to uncomfortable shoes insufficiently supporting the hip or knee.
Choosing Healthy Shoes: Video
It’s important to think about your shoes and how much support they offer your joints, as you walk daily. Do wear comfortable shoes with adequate support. High heels or shoes without insoles with good shock absorption, mostly don’t offer your joints that much-needed support.
The reason for that is because wearing high heels shifts your body weight forward, onto the balls of your feet. That adds pressure to your bones and joints, causing you pain and discomfort. And flat shoes without back coverings, such as flip-flops don’t help either. It is best to wear those kinds of shoes for short periods or lounging at home.
Why Your Shoes are Destroying Your Joints: Video
To address this problem and look after your joint, wear a well-fitting, comfortable pair of shoes. And inserts/ insoles if they have been prescribed for you. Ideally, that will be flat, supportive, rubber-soled shoes/ boots, so you don’t slip.
Drink Water
Another thing you can do is to drink plenty of water. Water helps in maintaining the healthy fluid balance in your body.
Dehydration Can Cause Aches Pains and Stiffness: Video
Keeping hydrated with a healthy fluid balance is essential because it ensures your joints have a generous supply of synovial fluid. Synovial fluid is the liquid the cushions in-between the bones and joints.
Moreover, it prevents dehydration – one of the most common joint pain causes.
Excess Weight
Being overweight can be another factor causing joint problems. Excess weight increases the load on your joints. It can also change your foot structure, leading to swelling in the foot/ ankle and painful spurs that grow on the foot bones.
Extra weight can lead to muscle fatigue as well as heel, arch and muscle pain. Anything that affects your muscles indirectly affects that muscles’ ability to support the area’s joints. So, it’s essential to avoid being overweight, to reduce strain and wear on your muscles and joints.
How Joint Pain Happens From Being Overweight: Video
Our hips support our weight during mobility – when standing, walking or running. And also helps maintain balance. Any extra weight will place a load on the hip and leg joints, and reflect on one’s mobility.
If you are overweight with joint pain, try using a walking aid such as a walking stick or rollator. It helps reduce the excess weight and stress on painful joints. Additionally, If you go walking regularly – and you ought to do that as much as is possible – it’s best to invest in a pair of proper walking shoes or some lightweight walking boots.
Should you need to lose some weight, try to follow a balanced, reduced-calorie diet, combined with regular exercise. Swimming is ideal as it is not weight-bearing, but any exercise is better than none. Also, start with some light activity of exercise, then gradually increase it each week.
how to look after your joints: Heavy Lifting
It is widespread for people to get back, hip or knee joint pain after heavy lifting. Lifting things up and down can strain your joints and back muscles.
As an elderly person – especially if you’ve had previous back, hip, knee or leg injuries – it’s probably best to avoid doing any heavy lifting. That is a good way to look after your joint. Heavy or repetitive lifting and being overweight can also contribute to hip osteoarthritis.
How To Lift Heavy Weight Safely: Video
One thing that will help you avoid pain after heavy lifting, is to use correct lifting techniques. If you must, here’s how to do it with less risk to your muscles/ joints:
- To pick things straight off the floor, bend at the knees, load close to you. Keep your back straight and bottoms out
- Plus try to not lift things straight off the floor. Maybe first kneel – if that’s easier for you
- Place the object on to a higher surface, like a table.
- Carefully stand up. And stand right next to the table, with the stuff/ object close to you.
- You can now more easily and safely move your object.
As an elderly person, though, the ideal thing for you is to avoid any heavy and even mid-weight object. Prevention is undoubtedly better than cure here.
Sleep Deprivation
Though everyone needs a slightly different amount of sleep to function properly, most adults need 6 to 9 hours per day. That is essential for the body’s recovery, repair and growth.
Pain, of any cause, can affect us getting quality sleep. And if we don’t get enough sleep, the body cannot maintain, heal nor repair itself – joints included. That leads to more pain which causes increasing sleeplessness… And so the vicious cycle continues.
Sleep and neuropathic pain and joints: Video
Joint pain in the hip, back or legs can all make it difficult to fall asleep. It means you’re also more likely to wake up during the night. Pain makes sleep more difficult, and sleep deprivation can worsen the pain. Sleep deprivation also leads to a less effective immune system and weight problems, both of which negatively affect our bones and joints.
In a nutshell, sleep is essential for the body to maintain, repair and heal itself. Getting the required 6 to 9 hours each night recommended for adults is crucial for the body’s healing process. Not getting enough sleep will leave you feeling tired, affect one’s overall health and slow down our body’s healing process.
Best Sleeping Position for Shoulder, Arm, & Wrist Pain
So, it really is crucial to make sure you get enough sleep.
Solutions for how to look after your joints
To get started sleeping better, you may have to focus on staying more active during the day. Even if you struggle with staying awake during the day, try not to take a nap. Daytime napping will make it much harder to fall asleep at night.
Exercise, sleep, and a healthy lifestyle will allow your joints to maintain, repair and heal itself. Doing regular aerobic exercise can help you unwind. It will tire you out and lead to deep and refreshing sleep. Gentle stretching will help work your muscles and relax your body, making sleep easier.
Another thing is your sleep position. A poor sleeping position can cause aches and pains, or worsen any existing discomfort. However, getting your sleeping position right also has the potential to ease sore muscles and joints. Finding the right sleep position for you could be the difference between waking up feeling restored, or waking up feeling drained.
Proper Sleeping Position Tips: Video
Over-the-counter pain-relief medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, taken just before going to sleep, can ease pain symptoms enough to allow you to get some sleep. However, the relief is unlikely to last all night. Be careful not to take painkillers that include caffeine, as that could keep you awake instead.
And if you are on steroid tablets, then take them earlier in the day. Taking them too late in the day can interrupt your sleep, because the hormones they affect need to be at their lowest point before you go to sleep.
Additionally, observing sleep hygiene practices could make it easier for you to sleep. Simple things such as: going to bed and getting up at a set time daily, keeping your room dark and quiet, not taking caffeine in the evening, and listening to soothing music or having a milky drink, may help.
Sleep Hygiene: 10 Effective Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep: Video
Sharing your bed with a restless sleeper may disrupt your sleep as well. A comfortable position can be wrecked by a shift in the mattress caused by a nearby restless sleeper. An easy solution to this is to get two single mattresses to fit into your double bed. That way, you and your partner can both sleep more soundly.
Conclusion
With advanced age, it becomes vitally important to pay special care and attention to your bones and joints. So you can start to move in a way that’s as young as you still feel!
