LifeStyle Habits to Prevent and Treat Osteoarthritis

Lifestyle Habits to Prevent and Treat Osteoarthritis
By Erik Nieuwenhuis MS, PT Work Injury Prevention Specialist and WELLness Consultant St Luke’s Health System 712-279-1842 Nieuween@stlukes.org


Do you or anyone you know suffer from arthritis pain and stiffness? Would you like to know how to prevent or reduce your risks of having a Total knee or hip replacement, and/ or be empowered to improve your quality of life at work, home and at play? May is Arthritis awareness and prevention month and Osteoarthritis (OA or degenerative joint disease—DJD) is the most common type of arthritis that is caused by a breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage of one or more joints. This type of arthritis tends to be more common as we age, and is made worse by being overweight, not being active, and past musculoskeletal injuries. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the USA today that costs the US economy more than $128 billion annually. Osteoarthritis (OA) also costs more than $86.2 billion a year in lost productivity and direct medical costs. Osteoarthritis is continuing to explode as the population of baby boomers (80 million in the United States or 27% of our current population) age and the cases will likely rise by 40% or more by the year 2030. Is your family, company and the community in which you live creating a culture of wellness to prevent and deal with these numbers?

A new published study from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC and P) reports that nearly one in two people (46%) will develop painful knee osteoarthritis over their lifetime, with the highest risks being for those who are obese (BMI over 30). In 2006, an estimated 30% of American adults were clinically obese according to the CDC and Prevention, and in 2008 74% of the states in America had their rates of obesity increase from 2007. The more you are overweight and/ or obese the more biomechanical stress (forces) to your body’s joints such as the; lower back (spine), knees, hips, ankles, wrists and hands. Knee osteoarthritis, the most frequent form of lower extremity arthritis, had 418,000 procedures in 2006 with a cost of $19 billion in hospital charges.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, these findings underscores the immediate need for the American public to understand what they can do to empower themselves and those they love to reduce the tremendous pain, disability, and costs associated with arthritis, and also learn and perform healthy lifestyle habits that will improve your quality of daily life!

#1 Move MORE and Sit less. Walking and choosing daily to be physically active will help to maintain joint mobility (improve joint range of motion), and strengthens the muscles surrounding the joints. You will also tend to lose weight and improve your cardiovascular endurance (or energy level will improve). Being physically active will also lubricate your joints with “joint synovial fluid” (a fluid in your joints that acts like a motor oil does to your cars engine) which helps to keep your body feeling great and not breaking down or “freezing up”. Work to move between 30 to 60 minutes per day so that your heart rate gets elevated and that you start to sweat.

#2 Perform WorkSmart Stretching Daily. One of the best benefits of performing worksmart stretching each day is that you stimulate the formation of joint synovial fluid in your joints, which acts to lubricate them (making your joints easier to move and reducing any pain that you may have in your joints). This will significantly reduce your risks of developing arthritis pain as you age and if you already have arthritis, you will reduce your pain from arthritis and improve your quality of life. If you or someone you know has knee pain, I typically recommend that they work to improve their ankle/ foot and hip flexibility in all three planes of motion. You do this by completing a good functional calf stretch, hip flexor stretch, hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch and groin/ hip adductor stretch. When your knee is in pain, always look to the joints both above and below your area of pain and here you will typically find the cause of your pain, risks for arthritis, and further wear and tear to your joints. Not only will this typically help your knees, but these are also two key areas to improve your flexibility if you have lower back or hip pain also.

#3 Drink 40 or More Ounces of Water Daily. Water also lubricates your joints and not only that, but if you are trying to lose weight water helps your body to burn or lose body fat. Drinking water also helps to naturally suppress your appetite. Most often when your body feels hungry, you are typically really only thirsty. For all people I work with and speak to who are trying to lose weight I always recommend that they drink at least 40 ounces of water each day working towards half of their body weight in ounces. Your body will also get a great burst of energy, which you’ll also feel from these other great lifestyle habits.

#4 Eat a Healthy Breakfast Daily to Help You Lose Weight and/ or Maintain a Healthy Weight for LIFE!! You must break the evening fast of sleeping to jump start your physical body’s health (rev up your metabolism) and also sharpen your mind for the workday. Eating breakfast is a KEY lifestyle habit for those who want to lose or maintain their weight. Some great choices are good whole grain cereal that has at least 4 or more grams of fiber per serving (look at top row at grocery store), whole grain bread (2-3 grams of fiber per slice) with peanut butter, yogurt, fresh fruit such as banana/ grapes/ apple/ orange/ or berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry). It has been proven by multiple studies that losing as little as 11 to 15 pounds or 5% of your body weight can reduce your knee joint pain by 50% or more. Not only that but you’ll reduce your blood pressure, cholesterol, and reduce risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Think of the money you could save each month on prescription drugs by improving your lifestyle habits (Make sure this is guided and directed by your doctor).

YOU, your family and co-workers are worth the effort!! Let’s choose wisely each day to truly enjoy our work, and play and improve our quality of life. Your joints thank you!

Sources:
1. “One in Two Adults at Risk For Painful Knee Arthritis” (Arthritis foundation offers prevention tips) by the Arthritis Foundation in Atlanta, GA Sept 3, 2008.
2. “Aging, Obesity Contribute to Increase in Osteoarthritis” by Kathleen Fackelmann USA Today online on June 19, 2006.
3. Lifetime Risk of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis by CDCeHealth 2/20/09.
4. Obesity and Workers Compensation 2007 Wellsource of Duke University 7 year study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine April 23, 2007.
5. Making Workplace Stretching Programs Effective from the Well Workplace Healthletter from WELCOA August 2008