Tag Archives: #arthritisawarenessmonth

Arthritis Awareness Month

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Arthritis is a condition that causes swelling in one or more of your joints. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 100 arthritic conditions. Some of these include:

  • Fibromyalgia
  • Gout
  • Childhood arthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Septic arthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis

However, two of the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, which causes cartilage to break down, and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects the lining of the joints.

Certain genetic factors make some people more likely to develop arthritis. Women, for example, are at a higher risk of arthritis than men. Additionally, arthritis can run in families, making you more likely to develop it if your parents or siblings experience it. Other risk factors include obesity, which can put excess stress on your joints and lead to inflammation, as well as previous joint injuries.

If you have arthritis, there are certain steps you can take to manage your symptoms and reduce the impact of this condition on your daily life. These include:

Staying active with low-impact exercise: Regular low-impact physical activity, such as walking, bicycling, or swimming, place little stress on your joints and are helpful for controlling your weight, improving your mood, and relieving arthritis pain. Additionally, gradual progressive strength training and stretches can help to maintain your flexibility and strengthen the muscles around your joints.

Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet: Your diet, combined with regular exercise, can help you reach or maintain a healthy weight that reduces stress on your joints. This can be helpful for reducing the severity of your symptoms.

Working with a doctor: A rheumatologist can help you determine the right course of treatment for your symptoms. This treatment can include physical therapy, medication to relieve pain or slow the progression of the disease, or surgery in cases where other approaches are not providing adequate results.

You can find a rheumatologist at Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center to get started on your arthritis treatment. To schedule an appointment, please call (718) 670-5486.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Obesity and Arthritis: What is the Relationship?

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200249480-001When asked what health problems are directly attributed to obesity, the most common answers are hypertension, heart health, and diabetes, but obesity has a large affect on another condition – arthritis.

May is Arthritis Awareness Month, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of five Americans has been diagnosed with arthritis, but that number nearly doubles among those considered obese. Obesity not only raises the risk of getting a certain type of arthritis; but for those who already have arthritis, obesity makes the condition worse.

Here’s a look at what fat does to arthritis, as well as some tips to put you on the road to losing weight.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. It is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage – the flexible but tough connective tissue that covers the ends of bones at joints. Age, injury, heredity and lifestyle factors all affect the risk of OA.

OA has a logical link to obesity: The more weight that’s placed on a joint, the more stressed the joint becomes, and the more likely it will wear down and be damaged.
Every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees. So a person who is 10 pounds overweight has 40 pounds of extra pressure on his knees. If a person is 100 pounds overweight, that is 400 pounds of extra pressure on the knees, causing those who are overweight to be at greater risk of developing arthritis in the first place. Once a person has arthritis, the additional weight causes even more problems on already damaged joints.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center offers nutritional clinics to help those looking to loose weight and avoid developing osteoarthritis, as well as full range of barriatric surgery options performed by doctors using the minimally invasive da Vinci robotic system. Barriatric surgery performed using the robot allows for faster healing time, less scarring, and shorter hospital stays. For more information call 718-670-8908.

For more health and lifestyle tips, please “like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/flushinghospital and follow us on twitter @FHMC_NYC

 

 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.