Arthritis Prevention

Recently Answered

• QIs swimming a good exercise for preventing arthritis?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered

  Swimming is a good exercise for preventing arthritis, and for reducing pain and stiffness if you have arthritis. Exercising in water is less stressful to your joints because the water’s buoyancy supports the body’s weight, which reduces stress on the joints and minimizes pain.
  Swimming is also a good cardiovascular workout and will help you lose or keep off excess body weight that could add pressure on your knee and hip joints. It also strengthens the muscles around your joints to increase flexibility and slow the progression of arthritis.
• QHow does exercise help prevent arthritis?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A Dr. Grant Cooper, MD , Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, answered

  

  Exercise can help prevent arthritis by stretching and strengthening the structures surrounding the joints, as well as helping to keep the joints well nourished. In addition, exercise helps you lose weight, which is another way to reduce your risk for developing arthritis. Obesity also increases the pain and disability associated with arthritis, and the combination of obesity and arthritis are ingredients for a potentially devastating cycle.

  

  Find out more about this book:

  The Arthritis Handbook: Improve Your Health and Manage the Pain of Osteoarthritis (A DiaMedica Guide to Optimum Wellness)
  Buy book

  See All 2 Answers
• QWhat can help prevent arthritis pain?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A Dr. Terry W. Smith, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Parkridge Health System

  For arthritis relief, good walking shoes and low-intensity exercise is important. Losing weight over time will help the joints to carry less weight. From an alternative standpoint, some high-dose omega-3 fish oil, turmeric, and believe it or not, vitamin D in a therapeutic doses, actually help relieve lot of musculoskeletal pain in general.

  See All 2 Answers
• QWhat exercises can strengthen my joints and prevent arthritis?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Dr. Maoshing Ni, PhD, LAc , Geriatric Medicine, answered

  Gentle on the joints, tai chi and qigong exercises improve overall flexibility and strengthen the joints. In my clinic, I teach a simple 30-minute daily practice called Eight Treasures qigong, which has been passed down through my family. It has been clinically shown to strengthen bones and joints and prevent arthritis. Best of all, it is far less stressful and strenuous than other types of physical exercise, and particularly emphasizes stretching and the strengthening of joints, tendons and muscles. Most licensed practitioners of Chinese medicine are able to teach some form of qigong and tai chi exercises, or you can learn from an instructional DVD.
• QCan lifestyle changes help prevent arthritis?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  Building up muscles around your joints can help prevent arthritis.
  
  Watch the video to learn from Dr. Oz what else can be done to prevent arthritis.

  
  

  See All 2 Answers
• QCan vitamin K help prevent arthritis?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A RealAge answered

  The vitamin K in cabbage, spinach, Swiss chard, and other leafy greens may help keep your hands arthritis-free -- all the better for keyboarding, card dealing, piano playing, or knitting. Try shredding your favorite leafy greens (about 4 cups) in a food processor, then toss with 1/4 cup low-fat mayo, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Feeds you and three favorite friends.
  
  Until recently, vitamin K was known mainly for helping blood clot after a nick or cut. Now you can add it to the list of things that lower the risk of osteoarthritis. In a study of older adults, those who had the most K in their blood were the least likely to have joint damage in their hands, and their knees got some protection, too.
  
  The United States Department of Agriculture recommendation is at least 90 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K a day for women and 120 mcg for men. You can get most or all of that in one serving of our Kole Slaw, depending on the greens you use.
  

  • One cup of shredded cabbage has about 100 mcg of vitamin K.
  • One cup of raw spinach has about 75 mcg.
  • One cup of Swiss chard has a whopping 299 mcg.

  Not a slaw lover? A cup of asparagus has 144 mcg; a cup of broccoli, 93 mcg.
  
  One caveat: Vitamin K can interfere with blood thinners (warfarin and its ilk). If you take a blood thinner, talk with your healthcare provider -- you need to be extremely cautious about K.

• QCan my diet prevent arthritis?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  There is no scientific evidence to show that the development of arthritis is related to diet, either the presence or absence of foods. That said, adequate bone building nutrients throughout life (calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, protein, and others) will ensure that your bones start off as healthy as they can be.
• QHow can you prevent arthritis as you age?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A HealthyWomen answered

  While arthritis is more common as you age, thanks to the impact of time on the cushiony cartilage that prevents joints and bone from rubbing against one another, age itself doesn't cause arthritis.
  
  There are steps you can take in your youth to prevent it, such as losing weight, wearing comfortable, supportive shoes (as opposed to three-inch spikes) and taking it easy with joint-debilitating exercise like running and basketball. One study found that women who exercised at least once every two weeks for at least 20 minutes were much less likely to develop arthritis of the knee (the most common location for the disease) than women who exercised less.

  See All 2 Answers
• QCan olive oil lower the risk of developing arthritis?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Dr. Grant Cooper, MD , Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, answered

  

  A study of rheumatoid arthritis patients showed that people who consumed 6 grams a day of olive oil in capsule form experienced a significant improvement in their arthritis symptoms after six months. Many of the participants who consumed olive oil were able to reduce their nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) use. Other studies also found a correlation between increased olive oil consumption and a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  Because of the inflammatory component that exists in osteoarthritis, it is reasonable and perhaps likely that an anti-inflammatory diet including olive oil could decrease the severity of osteoarthritis symptoms and disease progression.

  

  Find out more about this book:

  The Arthritis Handbook: Improve Your Health and Manage the Pain of Osteoarthritis (A DiaMedica Guide to Optimum Wellness)
  Buy book
• QCan arthritis be prevented?

  5 Answers

  A

  

  A Dr. Kelly Traver , Internal Medicine, answered

  The best way to prevent arthritis is to avoid being overweight, since that puts stress on the joints of the lower body, particularly the knees. Also, try to avoid abnormal joint stress by wearing proper shoes and by keeping the muscles around the joints strong and well supported. Consider cross training to prevent any single exercise from constantly wearing on the same joints over and over.

  See All 5 Answers