Arthritis

Last week, a lady of 74 came to see me for her regular check-up. This lady is one of my favourite patients as she is so eager to learn how to look after her health that she always bombards me with questions. Her x-rays show the posture and bone health of someone about 30 years her junior. Immediately after this appointment, was a male office worker of 49, who sadly is showing signs of degenerative arthritis in his joints and has the slumped posture so common amongst computer users. This patient’s priority was to get out of pain and return to work. I can help him out there but, unless he starts to change his attitude towards his current and future health, he’s likely to start ‘feeling his age’ well before my 74-year old patient does.

About 8 million people in the UK will be affected by arthritis. One of the most frustrating aspects of my job is the knowledge that the majority of degeneration in people’s joints is entirely avoidable – if only they took the right action earlier on enough in their life. So I have decided to give you some tips on how to help prevent painful degenerative changes in your joints and how to stop it getting worse if you are already suffering.

Diet and exercise are the two areas where you can make a big impact on the likelihood of developing forms of arthritis, so that’s what I’ll concentrate on here. If you are overweight, losing those pounds will instantly reduce the stress on your joints. A balanced diet is always the ideal solution but, with busy lifestyles, many find taking supplements an easy way to ensure that they are receiving a good nutritional package.

A Mediterranean-style diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is a good choice. Getting enough calcium to help build and maintain your bones is vital so here lots of green vegetables are the key! Don’t fall into the trap of thinking dairy is good for you. Interestingly a high dairy diet can, due to acidification actually cause a loss of bone mineral density!  Eat as little sugar as possible and stop panicking about fat, especially saturated fat, olive oil is fine unless it is heated above about 160 degrees celcius and for goodness sake, ditch the processed spreads and vegetable oil. Make an effort to get your ‘5-a-day’ fruit and vegetable portions (ideally 8 to 13) and try replacing red meat with oily fish twice a week.  As a rule of thumb 2 portions of vegetables to one portion of meat is the perfect ratio.  Also forget loading up on rice pasta and bread etc.  They are empty carbs and the wheat in particular has been shown on numerous studies to promote bone mineral wasting!  Antioxidants can help protect joints, help reduce inflammation and may even help prevent arthritis. Apples, oranges, cherries, blueberries, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, sweet potato, beetroot and broccoli are all rich in antioxidants.  Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly as found in oily fish, can be helpful for inflammatory arthritis. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are really quite bad for you and you should try cut down on the amount of omega-6 in your diet (such as sunflower oil, corn oil, and products made from these such as sunflower margarines).

In the health food store, don’t confuse fish oil with fish liver oil (eg cod liver oil). Fish liver oils also contain vitamin A which shouldn’t be taken in high concentration (eg more than 3000 micrograms per day).  Osteoarthritis, the ‘wear and tear’ arthritis, causes harmful damage to cartilage (the smooth coating on the ends of joint bones). These changes affect the ability of the bones to glide over each other and absorb shocks. Mild selenium deficiency is quite common in the UK and may be associated with more rapid progression of arthritis. The richest natural source of selenium is Brazil nuts but selenium is nearly always included in antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements.  However, note that chemically manufactured vitamins and minerals are very low for absorption so try and stick to whole food nutrients such as Juice Plus.

Exercise is critical in successful arthritis management. It helps maintain healthy and strong muscles, joint mobility, flexibility, endurance, and helps control weight. Rest, on the other hand, helps to decrease active joint inflammation, pain, and fatigue. For best results, people with inflammatory arthritis need a good balance between the two: more rest during the active phase of arthritis and more exercise during remission.

Starting an exercise program can seem like a daunting proposition. The important thing to remember is to start slow and make it fun. It is always good to start with flexibility exercises, which are basically stretching exercises that will improve your range of motion and help you perform daily activities.  See http://www.spinalcarecentre.co.uk/pages/members/ReliefPhase.html for more information.

An exercise program could include walking around the block, going to a dance class or playing a round of golf. You may be reluctant to exercise because you are in such pain. If this is the case you may want to start with swimming. In the water your body’s buoyancy reduces stress on your hips, knees, and spine.

Before starting out consult with a professional who can advise you on the proper techniques and precautions and who can work with you to devise a programme that is right for you.

None of this advice will work if you see it as something new to try before the next fad but making permanent improvements to your diet and your level of exercise will give you results that last a lifetime (a more active, healthier, enjoyable lifetime).

All information given is intended for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as medical advice, medical opinion, diagnosis or treatment.

If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your GP

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