What impact does ageing have on our joint health?
As we age, maintaining healthy joints and bones becomes crucial to maintaining an active lifestyle, preserving our mobility, and fostering overall wellbeing. Bone density naturally diminishes with the passage of time, and the protective cartilage in our joints gradually deteriorates. In the UK, conditions concerning our joints and musculoskeletal system as a whole stand out as the leading cause of pain and disability, particularly as we reach older age, accounting for approximately 20% of visits to our GPs.
These conditions can arise due to a variety of reasons, ranging from traumatic incidents including accidents and falls, to the gradual wear and tear of joint tissues over the years. Notably, symptoms tend to become more prevalent as we advance in age. Furthermore, we can exacerbate these symptoms through weight gain and inactivity, underscoring the importance of making proactive adjustments to our lifestyle where we need to, to potentially stave off the onset of arthritic conditions.
What can we do to maintain our own joint health?
While staying active, it is important to strike a good balance and avoid excessive strain on our joints. The ideal exercise regimen should encompass a variety of activities throughout the week, including a mix of exercises that improve our flexibility, strength training, and activities that improve balance. Joining exercise classes, low-impact activities like swimming, and incorporating daily walks into your routine can give substantial benefits, not only for physical health but also for overall wellbeing.
It is equally important to not restrict physical movement to a single daily activity, especially if your work or hobbies involve prolonged periods of sitting. Regularly breaking up your day with brief bouts of exercise, in a ‘little and often’ fashion, is crucial to maintaining healthy blood circulation as well as helping your joints and muscles. So, make a point of standing up and moving around periodically throughout the day.
Many people have found natural supplements to be helpful for managing joint health, with well known options like turmeric, ginger, collagen and glucosamine gaining increasing support. Considering supplements and discussing their potential benefit with a healthcare professional can prove to be worthwhile.
How can therapies like chiropractic and massage therapy help?
Alongside general activity and the option of supplements, regular physical therapy can be key to maintaining good joint health. Chiropractors assess the entire body and use a range of techniques to treat where necessary depending on your own specific symptoms to help you towards optimal health and function. As well as being traditionally known to treat back pain and neck pain, they work with all our joints and muscles from top to toe, to improve our mobility and strength. To find out more about chiropractic take a look here Chiropractic Clinic | County Chiropractic & Wellness Centre (exeterwellness.co.uk)
Did you know that massage therapy can help improve your flexibility and reduce your risk of injury? Massage stimulates the production of our body’s natural lubricants, which can improve flexibility and range of motion. Freeing up tense muscles allows increased blood flow through the whole body. Good circulation provides the rich blood supply that tense, stiff and damaged muscles need to promote health and healing. By working on your muscles, fascia, joints, ligaments and tendons, massage therapy can help keep your body supple and less prone to injury. So, if you’re looking to improve your physical performance or just want to feel better in your body, consider adding massage therapy to your wellness routine!
If you want to know more about massage therapy and how our therapists might be able to help you, follow this link Massage Therapy | County Chiropractic & Wellness Centre (exeterwellness.co.uk)
Fortunately, there is a wealth of valuable information available for addressing joint pain and stiffness, whether it is age-related or otherwise. Knowledgeable professional including GPs, physiotherapists, and of course chiropractors and massage therapists can provide valuable strategies and insights for maintaining optimal mobility and joint health.
Proactive steps in preserving our joint and bone health can significantly enhance our quality of life, promoting not only longevity but also a fulfilling an active lifestyle throughout our lives.