Page 12 - Mid Valley Times 6-2-22 E-Edition

By Ro Linscheid
Arthritis:
Many of us will have to deal with arthritis as we age. It may be very painful and can interfere with daily living activities. The word arthritis means joint in- flammation. This inflam- mation causes swelling, pain and stiffness. There are many forms of arthritis but the two most common ones are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis develops when the body’s immune system attacks the joints. Rheumatoid arthri- tis causes severe pain, in- flammation and deformity in the joints of the neck, wrists, hands, feet, elbows, shoulders, knees, hips and ankles. It does not stop
cause appetite loss, fever, lack of energy and can af- fect the heart, lungs and other organs. Rheumatoid arthritis affects more wom- en than men. It generally affects people between the ages of 25 to 55.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. Other names for it are De- generative Joint Disease or Wear and Tear Arthritis. Most of us will experience some sort of Osteoarthritis, as we grow older. It com- monly affects the joints of the hips, knees, spine and fingers. Other joints affect- ed less frequently are the wrists, elbows, shoulders and ankles. Osteoarthritis happens when the carti- lage that creates a cushion between the bones breaks down causing pain and stiffness in the joint. This pain can be significant and cause the joint to have limited movement. The cartilage cushion keeps the bones sliding easily as we move our joints back
tilage between the bones wears down allowing the bones to rub against each other arthritis is the result. Breakdown can happen as a result of wear and tear on the joints causing the cush- ion to wear out. Another possibility is an injury to the cartilage. Playing a contact sport or simply falling causing an injury can set the joint up for ar- thritis later in life. Being overweight can cause extra wear and tear on the cush- ion in the knees. Our hips and knees carry the weight of our bodies. Maintain- ing a healthy weight can help keep arthritis away. Arthritis may run in some families because they have a genetic predisposition for the disease.
Living with arthritis can be a challenge. It is im- portant to work with your doctor to keep the pain in check. Your doctor may order x-rays and/ or an MRI to see what is causing the pain in the joint. Then
with your doctor to come up with a plan to help you to deal with the pain.
Your doctor may pre- scribe some type of therapy. Therapy can help strength- en the muscles around the painful area. This could help support the joint and possibly lessen the pain. Exercise is important to in- crease range of motion and improve mood.
Low impact exercise can help. It is important to avoid anything that hurts. It is always a good idea to consult your doctor before you start doing any type of exercise. Doing water aero- bics is one of the best low impact exercise you can do. Working in the water causes resistance but does not stress the joint creat- ing increasing pain. The Wellness Center at Sierra View Homes Retirement Community offers classes in water aerobics and al- lows participants to lightly exercise without pain.
Thursday, June 2, 2022 | A12 | Mid Valley TiMes
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Dealing with Arthritis
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with just the joints it can and forth. When the car- it is important to work
Your doctor may talk to you about weight loss. Since our hips and knees carry our weight. Loos- ing even a small amount of weight can help decrease arthritis pain in the hips and knees.
Pain medications can be tricky. Be sure to consult your doctor in order to de- termine which medicine is the right medicine and what the dosage should be. There are medications that can be injected in to the painful joint and there are pain relief meds that can be taken by mouth. Medi- cations can be hard on the body when taken for ex- tended periods of time. It is important to use them carefully.
There are surgery op- tions for people who have exhausted all non-surgical means of controlling the pain. Surgery should only be considered if the pain and stiffness is keeping you from normal activities. A joint replacement will re-
quire a period of rehabilita- tionfollowingsurgery.This is major surgery and should be considered as a last re- sort. Less radical forms of surgery are also an option. Arthroscopic surgery can repair or trim injured car- tilage. This type of surgery can smooth the cartilage possibly delaying the need for a joint replacement.
It is interesting how dif- ferent symptoms of arthri- tis may be for people, some hardly notice and some have severe pain. People who suffer have options to control the pain. Seek out a doctor’s help and work with him/her to develop the best method for you. Researchers are search- ing for new treatments and even cures. In the mean- time paying attention to when your joints hurt and taking action as you and your doctor have mapped out can make a huge dif- ference in how you feel.
Outdoor activities that are perfect for seniors
The great outdoors beck- ons people of all ages. Fresh air can be hard to resist and the benefits of spending time outdoors are so numerous that it be- hooves anyone, including
seniors, to answer the call of nature.
According to researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Ser- vice, human beings benefit both physically and psy-
chologically from spending time in nature. Such ex- periences can reduce stress and help lower heart rates, potentially decreasing in- dividuals’ risk for cardio- vascular disease. In ad-
dition, the Forest Service notes that spending time outside in green spaces has been linked to a lower risk of depression.
Seniors who are retired or even aging empty nesters
who are still in the work- force can make great use of their free time by ventur- ing into the great outdoors. The following are a hand- ful of senior-friendly out- door activities that provide
a great reason to get off the couch and take in all that Mother Nature has to of- fer.
• Hiking: Hiking pro-
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES... Continued on Next H&F Page
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