6 Effective Ways to Manage Arthritis During Old Age Arthritis is an umbrella term used for various joint-related inflammations. You can’t always prevent the occurrence of arthritis during old age but it doesn’t mean seniors have to accept and start living with arthritis. In general, arthritis is more common in women than men. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 9.6% of men and 18% of women aged above 60 have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, which is the most prevalent type in the lot. However, gout is more common in men than women.
The experts do not know the exact reason behind why women are more at risk of arthritis. The prevalence of arthritis ranges from 22-40% in seniors in India. And, 80% of people diagnosed with osteoarthritis experience limited movement and more than 25% cannot perform the daily activities and need external support. What’s the connection between arthritis and aging? Both osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increase with age as they are degenerative conditions. More than the RA, the chance of developing OA increases with age due the increased pressure on a joint as a result of improper range, alignment and excess weight. Osteoporosis is an additional reason for increased cases of OA in seniors. How to manage arthritis during old age? With increased degeneration of muscles, osteoporosis, and physical weakness, arthritis in seniors becomes worrisome. However, there are a few steps one can take to avoid the pain and increase
the quality of life. Stay with us until the end of the blog as we explore the tips on coping with arthritis, the best diet and exercises for seniors. 1. Manage your weight during old age: Keeping your weight in check as you age is instrumental to ease the symptoms of arthritis. Increased body weight puts extra pressure on the joints that have already been affected by inflammation. Increase your mobility, and stick to a healthy diet to prevent pressure on the joints. Maintaining a healthy weight also helps in preventing injuries in joint tissues in the long run. 2. Best exercises for seniors with arthritis: Finding the right exercises for arthritis is not your sole decision to make. Wrong set of workout can impact joints negatively, injuring the joints. You have to take existing injuries, current physical strength, and range limitations into consideration before committing to a workout routine. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best workout plan. On a general note swimming, yoga, stretching workouts, and walking helps with arthritis symptoms. 3. Hot and cold therapy: Hot and cold therapies are known to ease symptoms and provide good relief for a considerable period. Heat treatment that includes warm showers and heat blankets to avoid stiffness of the fingers and joints. Cold therapies provide quick relief but do not apply ice directly on a joint. Instead, use gel ice packs on the swollen areas to reduce inflammation. 4. Meditation and massage: Arthritis, being a pressure and stress-induced inflammatory condition, reducing stress levels in the body is a great way to address the symptoms. Meditation, yoga, and other wellness activities help you cope with the symptoms better. Even though there is no sufficient evidence of direct impact of a massage therapy on the arthritis joint, massage as a whole enhances the overall wellbeing with a sense of relaxation. And, this should help. 5. Healthy diet to ease symptoms: Your efforts to curb symptoms cannot be fulfilled if you do not stick to a healthy diet. There is enough medical evidence that seniors can reduce the effect of RA and OA symptoms with enriching anti-inflammatory values in their diet choices.
Stick to the plant-based diet that includes fresh and colorful fruits and vegetables. They not only help reduce inflammation but also reduce the oxidative stress and free radicals by eliminating them. Stay away from foods such as red meat, saturated fats, processed sugar and salts as they cause inflammation. 6. Natural remedies: Reaching your kitchen cabinet will help fight arthritis better than the medicine counter. Sprinkle extra turmeric in your diet. Turmeric is known for being the rich source for curcumin which is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property. The same is with ginger. The natural anti-inflammatory agent contains anti-inflammatory properties that work exactly as the COX-2 inhibitor which is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. Rather than taking supplements, rely on natural resources that fight against inflammation. Herbal supplements like Boswellia, devil’s claw, ginkgo, bromelain, stinging nettle, and thunder god vine are super herbs that reduce joint pain. Living with arthritis as a senior makes everyday life more difficult. If your loved one is living with this degenerative condition on their own, help them find ways to alleviate the symptoms. You can also seek help from the modern senior living homes such as assisted living facilities where they offer comprehensive care and support for seniors suffering from arthritis.