How to Protect Knees From Arthritis

We depend on our knees to keep doing their job without complaint, but as time goes on all the neglect and misuse catches up with us. We often find ourselves with pain and disability from arthritis in our knees. The gradual wearing away of cartilage in the knee causes osteoarthritis, but arthritis can also be caused by injuries like fractures, ligament tears, and meniscus tears. Experts advise us to start taking care of our knees early in life so we can avoid knee problems later on.

Things You'll Need

• Knee brace
• Joint supplements
• Yoga class

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Instructions

How to Protect Knees From Arthritis

• 1

  Watch your weight. Eating a healthy, low-fat diet can help keep weight in check and reduce the strain on your knees and other joints. In fact, losing 15 pounds can cut knee pain in half. One of the best ways to protect your joints is to stay at a healthy weight.

• 2

  Stay active. Keeping active strengthens all the muscles that support the joints in your body. Walking, swimming, sports, or working out at the gym can help you stay in shape and keep your thigh muscles strong to help support your knees. It is advised that as you get older, you should avoid exercise that causes hard impact to the knee joints. Twisting motions to the knee should also be avoided.

• 3

  Be alert to strains in joints. Repetitive motion can cause strains that can lead to chronic injury. Try varying your movements, or try different positions. If necessary, wear a brace on your knees for extra support. There are a variety of knee supports available at your local drug store or discount store.

• 4

  Treat injuries immediately. If you injure your knee, seek immediate medical attention. You may not think it's a serious injury, but it can worsen over time and become a debilitating condition. Treating injuries early and thoroughly can help prevent arthritis further down the line.

• 5

  Take joint support supplements. Vitamins C and D, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and MSM all work to increase the cushioning and lubricating needed inside the knee joint. If you have a job that is especially hard on knees, or do sports that could lead to knee sprains, taking joint support supplements can help you avoid arthritis of the knee.

• 6

  Try yoga for strength and flexibility. Yoga can help strengthen the muscles that support your joints and keeps your joints supple and flexible. Yoga can also help in weight loss, which also contributes to protecting your knees against arthritis.