6 Ways to Protect Your Joints

Every year in the United States, almost 800,000 knees and 450,000 undergo total or partial joint replacement surgery. Joint replacement restores your mobility and can last for decades. However, whenever possible, it’s best to protect the joints you have and keep them healthy for life.

If you’re one of the millions of people in the U.S. who suffer from some form of arthritis, it’s extra important to take care of your joints. Any medical condition that affects your joints can eventually break them down to the point where they need replacement, and that includes normal wear-and-tear from the natural aging process. 

Whether you currently have arthritis or not, you should think about your joint health. The sooner you adopt lifestyle changes that protect your joints (and the rest of your body and brain), the more likely you are to keep your joints healthy and functional for life.

At McPhilamy Bone and Joint in Lubbock, Texas, fellowship-trained surgeon Dr. Austin McPhilamy specializes in minimally invasive Mako® robotic-assisted surgery for joint replacement. However, he and our team want you to preserve your joints by starting the following protection strategies starting now.

1. Stretch, strengthen, and move

The best remedy for joints that don’t want to move? Movement. It may seem counterintuitive when you have stiff achy joints, but movement releases a lubricant called synovial fluid that reduces friction between the bones of your joint and allows them to move more smoothly.

When you’re inactive or maintain the same position for long periods of time, your joints are more likely to stiffen. So, whether your job or lifestyle has you sitting or standing a lot, make sure to mix things up. 

Switch positions every half hour or so. Stretch. Walk. Building strength and flexibility also helps protect your joints. You can join a gym or just engage in fun activities that help you get stronger and more elastic, such as:

• Swimming, walking, or dancing
• Cycling or low-impact team sports
• Pilates, yoga, and tai chi classes

If your joints already hurt, you may want to bypass high-impact activities, such as running. Instead, choose joint-building low-impact activities like swimming, cycling, or walking.

2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

No matter what your drink of choice is now, try to focus on water and other non-sweetened beverages to get your daily hydration. Aim to drink at least 15.5 cups of water and healthy beverages daily if you’re a man, and 11.5 cups if you’re a woman. Replace sugary or artificial sodas and sports drinks with:

• Plain water
• Fruit- or veggie-infused water
• Homemade fruit smoothies
• Coconut water
• Green tea
• Milk (including plant-based milks)
• Limited fruit juice
• Sugar-free, chemical-free sports drinks

Fresh fruits and vegetables keep you hydrated, too. Their fiber also slows down the absorption of the sugars they contain. Always choose whole fruit over fruit juice, when you can.

3. Fight inflammation

Your immune system creates inflammation to remove toxins and kill pathogens. But when your body is in a state of chronic inflammation, it’s also chronically stressed. Arthritis is just one of the diseases that have inflammation as a root cause.

To turn down the heat on inflammation, focus on non-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory foods and beverages. Joint-friendly choices include: 

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Cooked vegetables; sweet potatoes
• Legumes (beans, peas, and lentils)
• Fermented foods (i.e., probiotic yogurt)
• Whole grain products; nuts and seeds
• Unsaturated fats (olive oil; avocados)
• Lean meats, poultry, fish, and seafood

Once you fill up on anti-inflammatory foods, you shouldn’t have much room for the types of non-foods that can provoke inflammation, such as processed foods and junk foods. Avoid sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, and alcohol. 

4. Wear the right shoes

High heels throw your legs out of alignment, placing excessive strain on your knees and hips. Choose flats with a roomy toe box so your feet can act as stabilizing platforms for the rest of your body. 

5. Lift carefully

Lifting heavy objects strains your back as well as your joints. Use your leg muscles to do the heavy lifting, rather than your back muscles. Also remember to keep the weight close to your body, which effectively minimizes the forces of gravity on the object you’re lifting. 

6. Support achy joints

There’s no honor in soldiering through joint pain. If your joints creak, pop, stiffen, or ache, you and your joints deserve relief. Feeling stressed by pain can trigger further inflammation that may make your pain even worse.

We help you make lifestyle changes, including adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, that protect your joints. We may also recommend steps such as physical therapy, activity modification, splinting or bracing, anti-inflammatory medications, and joint injections.

Do you have arthritis or want to avoid it? Protect your joints by giving them the care they need: Contact our friendly team at McPhilamy Bone and Joint in Lubbock, Texas, via phone or with our easy online form today.