Vim & Vigor - Spring 2018 - Gwinnett Medical Center - 41

1. Drop 5 pounds.

Extra body weight adds stress
on the joints, particularly the
knees. Every pound of body weight places
4 pounds of exertion on the knees. So
if you're 10 pounds overweight, your
knees are actually feeling the stress of 40.
That means losing a modest amount of
weight-say, 5 pounds-can make a
difference to your joints.
"The higher your body mass index,
the more stress you're placing on your
joints," says Ethel Frese, a physical
therapist and spokeswoman for the
American Physical Therapy Association.
"Certainly, if you have a BMI of 30 or
higher, losing even a small percentage
of weight will significantly reduce the
stress on your joints."
And weight loss has benefits beyond
your joints. Fat cells release chemicals
that promote inflammation, so losing
body fat helps to reduce pain and
inflammation all over.

PHOTO AND ICONS BY GETTY IMAGES

2. Lift some
weight.

Now that you know the benefits of dropping weight, we're going to
recommend you add some-in the form
of strength training.
"A good strength-building program is
essential for people with arthritis," Frese
says. "Strengthening the muscles around
the joint offers support so there's less
stress on the actual joint. The muscles
take some of the pressure off."
The Arthritis Foundation recommends
strength training for 20 to 30 minutes
two to three times per week. Stick with
that schedule, and you should feel results
in one to three months.

3. Ease up
on sugar.

Sugar not only contributes
to excess fat, but the substance itself

AT YOUR ASSISTANCE
Need help opening jars or buttoning
your coat but don't like feeling dependent on others? Consider assistive
devices. The Arthritis Foundation
endorses numerous products that
make life easier for people with arthritis, including zipper pulls, electric can
openers, playing card shufflers and car
gas-cap openers.
"You should also talk to a specialist
that has expertise in whatever joint you
need assistance with," says Tik Pau, MD,
a primary care provider with GMG's
Bostock Family Medicine. "They can
help by providing simple, adaptive ideas,
like wrapping a pad around a pen or fork
so your grip isn't as tight."

also causes inflammation, which
exacerbates joint pain. The Arthritis
Foundation suggests cutting refined
sugar completely, but if you can't do
that, try some healthier alternatives:
no-calorie sweetener stevia, synthetic
sugar sucralose (Splenda), agave nectar
or antioxidant-rich honey.

4. Get your
posture checked.

The source of aches and
pains isn't always obvious. Pain in a
joint may actually stem from a muscle
imbalance elsewhere in the body. For
instance, lots of back pain can actually
be attributed to weak abdominals.
Work with a certified physical therapist
and ask for a movement analysis.
"We get muscle imbalances when we
adopt abnormal movement patterns
that place repetitive stress on a joint,"
Frese says. Physical therapists can analyze patterns and suggest adjustments
to make sitting at your desk or going
down the stairs less painful.

You can also consider working with
a physical or occupational therapist to
find out what tools might help you and
how to use them correctly.
However, if assistive devices become
cumbersome or ineffective, it may be
time to consider joint replacement
surgery. Talk to your doctor about the
benefits and risks.

WEBSITE

Arthritis Answers
If you have questions about
treatment options or GMC support groups, a GMG primary
care provider can help. Make
an appointment by visiting
gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/
primary.

5. Stretch
it out.

Stretching is important
for improving and maintaining range
of motion in your joints. But static
stretching (holding a stretch for a
while) can be boring. Instead, try a
dynamic activity that incorporates
multiple facets of exercise.
"Activities like yoga, tai chi and Pilates
are particularly good for stretching but
also improve strength and balance,"
Frese says.
Another option is swimming.
"Aquatic therapy helps you strengthen
muscles without any joint compression,"
Frese says. Find an activity you enjoy
and really start living. ■

SPRING 2018

41
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