If you are like most people, your hands are probably not something you consider much. This is, in particular, true if you are a person who works with your hands. However, if you have arthritis, even the simplest of duties may be difficult for you to complete.
Here are five of the best tips for preventing arthritis in your hands:
- Manage Your Weight, and Your Body Will Thank You
Your whole body has to be held up by your knees. In many ways, being overweight or obese can hurt them. If you’re just 10 pounds overweight, every step you take puts an extra 30 to 60 pounds of pressure on your knees.
With proper teaching and your own commitment, you can lose weight if you eat well and exercise.
- Protect Your Joints
Joint problems could be caused by lifting heavy things, squatting, and going up and down stairs. Lifting can be very taxing on joints. Workers who squat, kneel, or climb stairs are more likely to have knee Osteoarthritis (OA) than those who don’t.
Standing a lot or being in a vibrating location might also cause OA. Joint difficulties are common in construction, cleaning, farming, metalwork, and floor-laying.
Sitting correctly can protect your joints from daily stress. For example, lift with your hips and knees, not your back, when you pick something up. Don’t carry things too close to your body because it will hurt your wrists.
- Treat Any Kind of Wound or Infection
When germs like bacteria and viruses make you sick, you don’t just cough and sneeze. Some of these germs can also get into your joints and lead to arthritis.
Arthritis caused by bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) is known as septic arthritis. These germs enter the bloodstream and reach the joint or the fluid surrounding it. You can treat this kind of arthritis with antibiotics.
- Try to Live an Ergonomic Lifestyle
You can keep your sore joints from worsening by making your home and office more ergonomic. And if you have to sit for a long time at work, support your back, knees, and arms.
Put your computer monitor at arm’s length and 15 degrees below your line of sight to avoid neck strain. Use a keyboard and mouse to avoid strain on your hands and arms.
Choose a chair for your office with a nice backrest and a headrest. Straighten your back and place your feet on the floor or a footrest. Armrests should be 90 degrees and wrists straight.
- Watch Your Blood Sugar
Both arthritis and diabetes are linked in two ways. Studies say that 47 percent of adults in the United States who have diabetes also have arthritis. Arthritis increases diabetes risk by 61%.
Being overweight, inactive, or elderly increases your risk of arthritis or diabetes.
High blood sugar may cause low-grade inflammation in the body. It also contributes to making reactive oxygen species (ROS). These chemicals help the joints make cytokines, which are proteins that cause inflammation.
Diabetes can hurt nerves and eyes, so treating it and monitoring your blood sugar levels is important. There’s also evidence that treating diabetes may decrease the progression of OA.
Conclusion
If you start to feel pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints, you should see a doctor or rheumatologist. Most of the time, arthritis causes damage that gets worse over time. This means that the longer you wait for treatment, the more damage can happen to the joint.
A specialist might be able to suggest some treatments or changes to your lifestyle that can slow the progress of your arthritis and keep you mobile.
We can assist you if you’re looking for an arthritis doctor in New Jersey. At the Center for Arthritis and Osteoporosis, Dr. Adenwalla and her team use the best treatment methods and diagnostic tools to manage the disease. We recognize that having Arthritis or an autoimmune condition can be tremendously distressing. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule an appointment!
