Who Is at Risk for Osteoarthritis?

You watch as a loved one struggles to get out of the chair because of arthritic knees and you think, could that be me one day? Perhaps, but you want to take some steps now to resolve any factors that may place you more at risk for developing osteoarthritis (OA), which affects 32.5 million adults in the United States.

To help, the team here at Valiant Life Medical wants to take this opportunity to outline a few of the more common risk factors for OA. Please note, some of these risks are beyond your control to change, but many aren’t and warrant a closer look.

Risk factors within your reach

With OA, the cartiligate inside your joint breaks down over time, which causes pain and inflammation that can hamper your ability to move the joint. General wear and tear is the primary influence when it comes to OA, but there are some factors that can lead to premature wear and tear, such as:

Obesity

If you’re carrying excess weight, a lot of the burden falls to your joints. Your joints are engineered to carry a certain amount of weight and, when you add to this, the additional stress can lead to a premature breakdown in the cartilage in your joints.

There’s also some evidence that obesity leads to metabolic changes that may be associated with increased risks for OA.

Overuse

If you rely on certain joints for an activity, like your knees and hips for running, be mindful of the extra stresses you’re placing on these joints. A good way to offset this type of repetitive stress on your joints is to ensure that the surrounding muscles are in good shape and can take on much of the workload.

Injury

Another risk factor when it comes to OA is previous injury. If you broke or badly sprained your ankle, for example, it increases your risks for developing OA in that joint down the road.

Any time you injure a joint, it’s important that it heals properly to avoid OA complications.

Inactivity

You might think that leading a sedentary lifestyle will protect your joints from OA, but this isn’t really true. Your joints are designed to move, and this movement not only keeps the soft tissues supple and flexible, it also encourages more resources to flow in to keep your joints healthy.

Beyond your control

OA is also known as a wear-and-tear disease, which means that as you age, your chances for developing this joint disease rise. 

Gender also plays a role, as women are more susceptible to OA, especially after the age of 50.

Lastly, if you have a family history of OA, you might be vulnerable, as well.

While there’s not much that we can do about age, gender, and genetics, you can still protect your joints from OA through exercise and weight management. 

Treating your OA from the start

If you notice the early signs of OA, we encourage you to come see us so we can help you slow the progression of the disease. Through physical therapy, chiropractic treatments, regenerative medicine, and joint injections, we can help preserve your ability to move without pain for years to come.

If you’d like to find out more about whether you’re at risk for osteoarthritis, please contact our office in Fort Worth, Texas.