Arthritis: Myths get busted when Science comes in play
This article was published on: 04/6/17 7:07 AM
Arthritis is very commonly used to mean any disorder that affects joints. The symptoms of this disease generally include joint pain, stiffness, redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In some types other organs might also get affected. It is common in advanced arthritis for significant secondary changes to occur. To explain, arthritic symptoms might make it difficult for a person to move around and exercise which may lead to further affecting the muscle weakness, loss of flexibility, and decreased aerobic fitness. These changes can have a huge impact on quality of life. The disease also carries lots of myths about it.
- 1. You should not be active if your arthritis acts up:- One of the main causes of arthritis is lack of physical activity. Living a more active lifestyle can actually help your joints become more flexible over time and could reduce the symptoms associated with arthritis. Swimming, walking etc. are all exercises that can help maintain your strength and natural range of motion while still being gentle on your joints.
- 2. Only old people get arthritis:- This is a very common misconception. Basically, arthritis can happen to 1- and 2-year-olds, it can happen to 90-year-olds and to anyone in between. Research reveals that two-thirds of people with arthritis are younger than 65.
- 3. Not much can be done to alleviate the pain and disability of arthritis:- You may think that little can be done to help your arthritis. But this is not true. There is a lot that can be done today to ease the pain of arthritis and to slow joint deterioration than ever before. For example, many people with serious types of arthritis that were experiencing high levels of pain and limited mobility are back to pain-free active lifestyles after receiving an arthro surface Hemi CAP implant. Besides the arthro surface joint restoration technology, there have been several advances such as drugs, surgeries, exercise programs, and other medical treatments that have improved the symptoms of arthritis.
- 4. All joint pain is arthritis:- All of us usually have this thing in mind that every joint pain we come across is arthritis. But, there are several other conditions that can cause joint pain such as tendonitis, bursitis or other soft-tissue injuries, celiac disease, etc.
- 5. Don’t worry about minor pain:- Many people downplay their joint pain and accept that it’s just something they have to live with. However, this type of pain should not be ignored. Ignoring joint pain could lead to further joint deterioration and may lead to a total joint replacement in the future. Consulting a specialist immediately could be of great help in such situations.
- 6. Cracking knuckles can cause arthritis:- Many people crack their knuckles out of habit. But there are chances that they have heard this could someday cause arthritis. Actually, there is no link between the cracking of knuckles and the increased risk of developing arthritis.
- 7. Exercise can aggravate joint pain:- Exercise is beneficial for everyone, with or without arthritis. If you are in pain, try some light stretching, or switch to workouts that are less taxing on the joints, such as the stationary bike or swimming.
