JOINT STIFFNESS CAN LEAD TO ARTHRITIS

Joint stiffness is the sensation of difficulty in moving a joint or the apparent loss of range of motion of a joint. Joint stiffness often accompanies joint pain and swelling. Depending on the cause of joint stiffness, joint redness, tenderness, warmth, tingling, or numbness of an affected area of the body may be present. Joint stiffness can be caused by injury or disease of the joint and is a common finding in arthritis. Joint damage including stiffness can also occur following injury to the joint.

It’s usually most noticeable in the morning. It often eases up after an hour or two, but it can last all day. You may feel it in areas like Fingers and hands, Wrists, Elbows, Knees, Ankles, Feet, Shoulders and Hips etc.

There are many causes of stiff joints. Sudden joint stiffness may be due to an injury, while joint stiffness that develops and worsens over time may be due to an underlying disorder or disease. The primary cause of joint stiffness is arthritis, which is inflammation of the joints due to a variety of causes.

As a disease, arthritis is more complicated than most people imagine. It can come in different forms and affect people in different ways.

Arthritis is a problem which can’t be cured completely. The pain may be managed and kept under control through medication and other measures.

Some of the things which may be done to control and manage the pain are as follows

·        taking appropriate medicines

·        staying physically active and following a fitness program focusing on moderate exercise

·        stretching prior to exercising to maintain a good range of motion in the joints

·        keeping your body weight within a healthy range, which will lessen stress on the joints

·        getting regular massage

·        getting adequate rest

These are some general tips for relieving the pain and keeping it under control. But it is very important to consult a competent doctor and follow the advice given by him/her when the problem increases.
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BE HAPPY AND HEALTHY!

In today’s modern lifestyle we are deeply immersed in stress and anxiety throughout the day. The morning starts with jumping out of the bed without a complete sleep, and running to prepare and dress up for the office. Most often we do not even get enough time for eating our breakfast because more important to us is to reach office at time. Next 8 to 10 hours are spent in the office exhausting ourselves doing work in a desk sitting right in front of the computer. Then returning from office and going to bed after having dinner remains the sole objective.

Hence we start our day without having proper sleep, end our day with a stressful mind; and anxiety runs within us throughout the day. In doing so, peace and mental relief becomes a thing unimaginable.

But the fact is, whatever we are doing, or whichever career we are pursuing, it is ultimately to accomplish prosperity. But the bigger question is, does prosperity only mean earning a lot of money? It doesn’t. Prosperity includes our mental peace, psychological stability and the ability to sleep soundly.

But what a person can do to attain mental peace and tranquility in a lifestyle as has been mentioned before?

Lifestyle experts and doctors opine that taking out at least 1 hour in the day for yourself is very much essential. This 1 hour would be just for yourself without any worries of the outside world and if possible being away from the phone too.

Utilize this one hour very wisely. Do very light exercise and a bit of yoga for 30 to 45 minutes. Spend the rest 15 to 30 minutes practising meditation. It’s easy to learn meditation watching YouTube videos. And while doing the meditation, do play a light music in the background lowering the sound as much as possible. There are specialized music available for this purpose nowadays. Also light an incense stick if possible. It’s necessary to put off the bright lights.

These would surely help to some extent.

Try to keep aside negative thoughts and focus on the positive ones. There are many positive things in our life which we overlook to mourn about the negatives. Be thankful to the Almighty for the things you have. Many people crave for food twice a day.

Doing brisk exercise, practising Yoga & Meditation, and keeping a positive mind would boost your mental health to a large extent. These would make you cool, calm and happy.

Apart from these always try to be with people you love to spend time with, people who are full of positive energy and those who can appreciate things. Giving and getting appreciation levitates us to a great level of joy.

The most important thing to remember is that if we are mentally unhappy and always in stress it would hugely affect our health & well being and ultimately make us ill.

Be happy, be healthy, and enjoy life to its fullest!

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DON’T LET ARTHRITIS RUIN YOUR LIFE!

With the advancement of medical science the average life expectancy has gone up to a considerable extent. People are living longer than they did decades ago. But at the same time, health issues related to age has gone up too. Though people are living longer, they are living with several complications. Most common of these are Arthritis, Spondylosis, Gastric problems, Renal problems, and reduced capability of the brain. Apart from that, with age the capacities of the sense organs diminish naturally. But among all these problems probably the most painful is arthritis.

All kinds of joint pain are broadly categorized as Arthritis. Knee joint is most vulnerable to this, as it has to carry the body weight throughout our lifetime. Also the lower back muscle, hip joints or any joints in general can be affected by it.

Actually what happens is the cartilage which is placed in between the joint gets worn out with time. The primary function of these cartilages is to protect the bones from wearing out due to friction. These act as padding between the bones. But with continuous use and advancing age, these cartilages get worn out.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 52.5 million of adults have self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis. This is a problem not only of the aged people, but day by day its becoming more common among the young too.

Here are some useful and handy tips to prevent Arthritis:-

(i)                Make sure you have a diet rich in dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt. Non-dairy foods that are rich in calcium like broccoli, salmon, spinach, black beans, peanuts, almonds, tofu, sardines and sesame seeds are also helpful in making the bones and joints strong.

(ii)              Vitamin D helps calcium to be absorbed into the body and bones. Hence, just taking calcium might not help that much. It’s necessary to support the calcium intake through proper supply of Vitamin D. Meats, poultry, beans, eggs, nuts, fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are very good sources of vitamin D.

(iii)             Try to exercise at least 20 minutes for three days a week if exercise is vigorous, or 30 minutes exercise for five days a week if it is moderate. Anything else is considered insufficient for protecting against early onset arthritis.

Apart from these preventive measures, any kind of bad habits needs to be avoided like smoking or drinking.

Now let us also know about some of the early signs of arthritis so that we may take proper precautionary measures. These are: - Pain in joints, swelling, stiffness, morning numbness etc.

If a person is experiencing any of these, immediate consultation with the doctor is necessary.

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