Older adults have a higher risk of developing joint pains due to osteoarthritis. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman because all genders are susceptible to arthritis in their senior years.
According to statistics, approximately 12.4 million people who are older than 65 suffer from some form of arthritis. It is the most common disease and physical disability that seniors experience.
Arthritis targets the cartilage that serves as a cushion between your connected bones. As the cartilage diminishes and wears down, there is less cartilage to cushion your bones. Then your bones will rub together and cause you to experience pain.
At first, the pain will feel mild, but it will gradually get worse over time. Sometimes the pain will feel intense for a short while but then go away. Arthritis pain comes and goes, so there is no telling when it will occur. Sometimes you’ll feel excruciating pain in your joints too.
You will feel arthritis pain the most in the joints of your hands, lower back, neck, feet, hips, and knees. The only good news is that your internal organs are not affected by arthritis. It only affects your joints.
Home Care Services
If an elderly person is physically incapable of taking care of themselves because of their joint pains, then a home health aide or nurse might be required to assist them. Caregivers tend to the needs of elderly patients right in the comfort of their homes.
When you request a caregiver, you will have all your basic needs taken care of for you. The caregiver will cook nutritious meals and assist you with physical exercises each day. It is important to move around and eat the right foods so that your joints can become lubricated naturally. Then you won’t feel as much pain.
There is no cure for arthritis, so don’t try to look for some magic pill or formula. If the cartilage of your joints has diminished, then you cannot grow back more cartilage. That is not how it works. The best you can do is take steps to prevent further pain.
Arthritis Prevention
If you don’t already have arthritis, then do whatever you can to avoid getting it. There are certain tips you can follow to reduce your chances of getting arthritis. Some of these steps will be rather difficult for people to complete. However, they are necessary if you’re serious about preventing arthritis.
Let’s take a look at some of the tips:
- Do whatever is necessary to lose weight. Overweight seniors have a much greater chance of developing arthritis. All that extra weight puts pressure on their bones and joints, which amplifies the arthritis pain tremendously. Losing weight will take the pressure off the joints and reduce the pain in the process.
- You may notice that your knees tend to hurt more than any of the other joints in your body. It is understandable because the knees are your biggest joints, and they take the most pounding when you walk. Not only should you lose weight to reduce the load on your knees, but you should not carry backpacks or other heavy items either.
- Avoid high-intensity exercises and cardiovascular workouts. They will stress out your joints too much. Keep the exercise to a low or medium intensity level, depending on the level of pain you experience.
- Try not to overuse the same joints too much. If you start to feel pain during a workout, then lower your intensity or stop working out altogether.
- Include a lot of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Do not eat red meat or inflammatory foods. The best foods to eat for stronger bones include cheese, milk, salmon, spinach, oranges, collard greens, fortified cereal, and fortified yogurt.