With the right healthy habits, you can keep hip and knee pain from slowing you down.
Stay Active, Eat Well
One of the best things you can do for your joints is maintain a healthy body weight. Excess weight puts added strain on your joints with every step, leading to increased wear over time. Low-impact exercises, including walking and swimming, can help keep weight off while preventing the joint discomfort that can come with more high-impact exercises like running.
Make sure your diet is balanced and contains enough calcium and vitamin D, which are key to joint and bone health. Dairy products are a great source of both, and fish, such as tuna and salmon, is high in vitamin D as well. Salmon is also a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which can provide some relief from arthritis.
Wear the Right Shoes
According to the Arthritis Foundation, three-inch heels cause seven times more foot stress than one-inch heels. The more support your shoes offer, the better off your joints will be. If you can’t find a shoe that offers the support your feet need, consider orthotic inserts, which can slow or prevent the advance of arthritis.
Address the Pain
If you have arthritis pain in your joints, ask your doctor whether supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin or medications such as corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could help. When your joints feel better, you’re more likely to be more active, further improving your joint health.
If you experience swollen joints, have tenderness or redness around the joint, hear or feel grinding in the joint, or find that pain keeps you from enjoying daily activities, it’s time to discuss your symptoms with your doctor.
If you have concerns about your joint health, talk with your primary care physician about possible causes. To find a primary care physician in our area, visit parkridgehealth.com/physicians.