Arthritis care measures

Reduce unnecessary joint load, control inflammation levels within a safe range, and maintain muscle strength around joints as much as possible. All specific measures must focus on these three points, combined with your own arthritis type, onset site, and tolerance adjustment. There is no "standard answer" that suits everyone.

Not long ago, I met a 62-year-old aunt in the outpatient clinic. She has suffered from degenerative disease in both knee joints for three years. She heard from neighbors in the community that "walking more can wear away bone spurs." In fact, many people's misunderstandings about arthritis care come from directly applying other people's experiences to their own, without understanding what their own joints actually need.

Nowadays, orthopedics and rehabilitation circles have always had different opinions on "whether to exercise for arthritis": most orthopedic doctors will recommend that you bear as little weight as possible during the acute stage of pain, don't stand when you can sit, and don't walk when you can lie down, to avoid further aggravation of wear and tear.； Most doctors in the rehabilitation department feel that even if they are in pain, they have to do several sets of isometric training around the joints every day - for example, if you have a knee pain, just lie down and tighten your thigh muscles for 10 seconds and then relax. This does not require moving the joints, will not increase wear and tear, and can also prevent the muscles from losing too fast. After all, muscles are the best cushions for the joints. If the muscles are gone, even if the artificial joints are replaced, it will not last a few years. Both of these statements are actually correct, but they are applicable at different stages: when the pain is so severe that you can't even stand on the ground, rest quietly first, and then slowly add strength training when the pain is tolerable. Don't just walk ten thousand steps, climb stairs, or squat on horseback. That is not exercise, it is torture for the joints.

When many people mention arthritis care, their first reaction is to keep warm. This is only half right. If your joints are in the acute attack stage, red, swollen, hot, and feel warmer than other skins, then do not apply warmers, bake electrics, or soak your feet in hot water. At this time, the blood vessels are already in a state of expansion. If you apply heat, the inflammation will leak out more and the swelling will become more severe. Instead, use an ice pack wrapped in a towel and apply it for 10 minutes, which can quickly relieve swelling and pain. Only those in the chronic stage where the joints are usually cold and hurt when exposed to cold, and the surface is neither red nor swollen, are suitable for wearing protective gear, hot compresses, and hot spring baths. And do not buy protective gear with thick steel plates that are tight enough to tighten the legs. For daily wear, choose thin elastic ones. Take them off after 2-3 hours of wearing them and relax for a while. Otherwise, the muscles will become weaker and weaker due to their long-term dependence on the support of the protective gear, and the gain will not be worth the candle. I used to have a patient who wore hard knee pads all year round. After wearing them for a year and taking them off, he wobbled even when he walked on a flat road. It was because his muscles were useless.

There are different opinions on whether arthritis should be taboo. Traditional Chinese medicine often says to eat less "foods" such as seafood, beef and mutton. In Western medicine, except for gouty arthritis, which requires strict control of the intake of high-purine foods, there is actually no clear list of taboos for other types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Of course, if you have tried eating something and your joints are obviously in severe pain the next day, then just don’t touch it in the future. There is no need to follow the trend of food taboos. Instead, high-quality proteins such as meat, eggs, and milk must keep up. Muscle growth requires nutrients. Once the immunity is stable, inflammation will not be easy to recur. Many people also ask whether they should take ammonia sugar and chondroitin? At present, domestic and foreign guidelines recommend that people under the age of 65 and whose cartilage wear is not serious can try to take it for 3 months. If they don’t feel relief, stop taking it. It is basically useless for people over 65 years old, so don’t waste your money.

In fact, caring for arthritis is difficult to say, and it is simple to say. To put it bluntly, it is to talk to your body more. Don't compare your exercise intensity with others. Don't see others climbing mountains and you should go there, or run 5 kilometers with others. I have seen many old patients who have been ill for 20 or 30 years. They usually wear soft-soled jogging shoes with arch support, walk slowly for half an hour every day, and sit with their feet stretched out to stretch their muscles when they are free. Their joint condition is much better than that of many people who have just been sick for a year or two and are struggling. After all, your joints are your own, and only you know whether they hurt or not. Following its condition is more effective than any expensive care method.