Certain conditions cannot be cured, they can only be endured. Awareness holds the key to managing them. Read on to know more about it.
Arthritis Outsmart the Arthritis- Keep moving!
The day, 12th of October each year is dedicated to addressing the cause and creating awareness on a manageable bane- Arthritis! The theme for ‘World Arthritis Day this year is ‘Don’t Delay Connect Today’.
What is Arthritis?
The word “Arthritis” comes from the Greek word ‘ arthon’ meaning joint and the Latin word ‘ inflammable meaning swelling. Arthritis is a painful condition of the joints that often involves the hips, knees, neck, lower back or small joints of the hands and feet. It is showing signs like swelling, redness, and warmth, and difficulty in movement of the affected joints.
What are its types?
There are around 100 different types of arthritis. However, the two most common types are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). RA is caused when our body is attacked by our own immune cells (Cells that defend our body). Whereas, OA is caused due wear and tear of joints.
Do I have Arthritis? Arthritis show various signs and symptoms, a few common ones are listed below:
| Osteoarthritis | Rheumatoid arthritis |
|---|---|
| Pain in joints | Stiffness after a prolonged period of rest |
| Stiffness, especially in the morning | Both sides of the body are equally affected |
| Difficulty in movement | Hand and feet joints are more affected |
| Swelling of joints | Swelling and pain in joints |
| Joint cracking or popping sound/sensation | A larger number of swollen and painful joints |
| Weakness in the muscles | A general feeling of illness or discomfort |
What causes arthritis? –
- Obesity or overweight
- Aging (although old people are more prone, it can also occur in any age)
- Injury to joints
- Excess stress on joints
- Genetic defects
- Smoking
- Gender-females are more prone
Let’s look into stats! –
- Arthritis affects more than one out of four adults.
- Females are two to three times more likely to be affected as compared to males.
- 0.3% and 1% of the world’s population is affected by RA.
- Again RA is more common in women and in developed nations.
- It is estimated that 9.6% of men and 18.0% of women above 60 years of age have osteoarthritis.
Overcoming the hurdles – Nothing is impossible, everything depends on how we approach it. A few ways to manage arthritis are given below:
Diet- Food to be avoided– Corn and corn oils, dairy products, processed food, baked food, salt, and preservatives.
Food to be eaten: Olive, nuts, flax seeds, vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and fruits such as strawberries and blackberries. Food rich in vitamin C and D can be included in the diet.
Exercise/Yoga-Yoga is known to have beneficial effects on arthritis-affected individuals, it improves physical as well as a psychological strength. It generates a positive feeling of well-being and improves the mobility (movement) of joints.
“Keep yourself motivated and moving to stay ahead of arthritis!”
