Are joints the first to age? Here are some things you should pay attention to

Hello everyone, I believe that sometimes you will hear a "click, click" sound when doing stretching exercises. The knee joints of elderly people often make such popping sounds. Don’t think that this is the knees "listening to music". In fact, this is a "distress signal" sent by the knees. As the saying goes: "When a tree grows old, the roots die first; when a person grows old, the legs age first." This is most likely a common disease: osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative osteoarthritis, is a systemic disease that can affect any joint in the body, but is particularly prone to weight-bearing joints, such as the knee and hip joints. Under normal circumstances, joints are composed of bones, joint capsules, synovial membranes, and a layer of rubber-like material on the surface of the bones in the joints - cartilage. Because of the presence of cartilage, the joints are cushioned when they move, reducing wear and tear on the bones. The core of osteoarthritis is the degeneration of cartilage. As the cartilage wears and degenerates, the cushioning between the sliding of bones becomes weaker during joint movement, resulting in snapping, friction, pain, and limited movement in the joints. In severe cases, joint deformities and even atrophy of the muscles around the joints may occur.

Although osteoarthritis does not threaten life, with the accelerating aging of the population, osteoarthritis has become the fourth leading cause of disability in my country. According to an epidemiological survey conducted by the Department of Orthopedics and Joints of Peking University People's Hospital, the overall incidence of osteoarthritis in people over 65 years old in my country is 8.1%, and the increase in life expectancy will lead to a continuous increase in the number of people suffering from osteoarthritis in the future.

If the human body is compared to a car, after years of persistent use, the corresponding parts will be constantly strained and worn out. If you happen to fail to take care of and maintain the car, or even do some operations that accelerate the degradation of the parts, it will cause osteoarthritis. For example, smoking will consume the body's oxygen supply, leaving the joints in a relatively hypoxic state, causing joint damage. Obesity is also one of the causes of arthritis. Long-term weight-bearing and abnormal metabolism of obese people accelerate the progression of joint degeneration. Long-term excessive use of joints and exercise that exceeds the load of the joints can also cause osteoarthritis. For example, some sports practitioners are prone to osteoarthritis. In addition, age, gender, and genetic factors are also causes of osteoarthritis. The elderly are more likely to be affected than the young, and women are more likely to be affected than men.

We often see elderly people tapping their knees and saying "I am too old, too useless, my legs and feet are no good". In fact, they do not understand that it is osteoarthritis that is causing the problem. Elderly people often use "tapping" to relieve discomfort or "bear it" to deal with it hastily, until they are confined to their homes or even beds due to joint pain or limited mobility.

In fact, this disease can be controlled through management. Just like the maintenance of a car, the worn parts will not be restored by knocking them. The key is to prevent and maintain them in daily life to maintain their functions and extend their service life as much as possible.

First of all, we should pay attention to diet, control weight, and reduce the pressure on joints. Sufficient water, an adult should consume at least 2000ml of water a day, which is about 8 glasses of water. The function of articular cartilage depends on the sufficient water in its cartilage matrix. Sufficient water helps promote the metabolism of articular cartilage to maintain the elasticity of cartilage. "Drink more hot water" will inevitably become the healthiest fashion in today's society. It is also necessary to supplement enough vitamins in the diet, eat more foods rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, such as various fruits and vegetables, animal liver, egg yolk, etc. These vitamins are closely related to the metabolism of cartilage and bones, and can delay the aging process of cartilage.

Secondly, exercise and sports should be carried out to strengthen muscle strength and reduce the burden on joints. Tai Chi, swimming, brisk walking or sitting leg lifts and other exercises are good choices as they have less consumption on joints, but mountain climbing, walking up stairs, and speed running are not conducive to the protection of joints.

Cold weather can also cause osteoarthritis. Articular cartilage and synovium are tissue structures with poor blood supply. In a cold environment, blood vessels contract due to cold, which will be more detrimental to blood supply, thus affecting the survival of cartilage cells and accelerating the progression of osteoarthritis. So if you have leg pain or other joint pain, you must keep your joints warm, especially in the rainy and snowy seasons of autumn and winter. Wear blankets, heat packs, long johns, and warm pants!

Of course, timely medical treatment is the most important way to treat osteoarthritis.

In any case, take good care of your car parts, protect your joints, and say no to “aging joints at a young age”!

References

[1] Liang Zhichao. How to prevent knee osteoarthritis? [J]. Family Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2021, 28(09): 43-45.

[2] Zhang Yingying; Li Xudong; Yang Jiajuan; Ma Li; Chen Yuewei. Meta-analysis of the prevalence of osteoarthritis in people aged 40 years and above in China[J]. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2021, (04): 407-414.

[3] Wang Zhenhu. Talking about arthritis[J]. Health Monthly, 2021, 42(09):802-803.

[4] Wen Chenxi, Li Jingyang. Pathogenesis and treatment strategies of osteoarthritis-related pathological changes[J]. Chemistry of Life, 2021, 41(09): 1974-1980.