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Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects the joints of around 27 million Americans and is the most common chronic joint condition. As we age, the cartilage that protects our joints begins to break down, causing swelling, pain, and limited mobility. This increases the chance of developing Osteoarthritis, especially in women who have gone through menopause. 

Making Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Osteoarthritis

While there are no cures for osteoarthritis, read on to learn how you can prevent this chronic disease through small lifestyle changes.

Manage Occupational Risks

If your job involves repetitive motion, this can put a lot of pressure on your joints. You may want to speak to your orthopedist if your job involves a lot of:

• Twisting
• Lifting
• Kneeling

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Holding a healthy body weight is important to keep your body healthy overall, but can be extremely helpful when it comes to keeping your joints healthy. Excess weight puts extra stress on your joints and, in turn, can speed up the deterioration of your cartilage. Losing weight can reduce pain and stiffness.

Increase Your Activity

In addition to helping you maintain a healthy body weight, increasing your activity will help keep your muscles and joints fluid. Low-impact exercise can help improve joint health, especially those that include stretching and strength training. 

Try adding an aerobic exercise class, yoga class, or a daily walk into your routine to maintain healthy joints, increase your muscle and bone strength, and reduce joint pain and stiffness.

Get Plenty of Rest

Exercising can help you keep your muscles and joints healthy, but overuse can increase your chances of osteoarthritis. The key is to balance exercise and rest! If you feel achy, don’t push yourself — give your body a break. When you’re feeling better, get back on your feet and get moving.

If you have any injured joints, you should see your orthopedist and let the joint heal before resuming physical activity.

Pain Specialists Milford CT

If you are experiencing chronic joint pain, our team at Orthopaedic Speciality Group provides state of the art interventional pain management targeting spinal and musculoskeletal disorders. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.