David Crawford MD: Lifestyle changes to improve osteoarthritis symptoms


David Crawford MD believes that there is a link between nutrition and pain relief to patients suffering from osteoarthritis. Small changes to an individual’s lifestyle and diet could help with pain relief as well as prevent the condition from getting worse. Osteoarthritis affects mostly the knees and hips and individuals with the condition often feel joint stiffness and severe pain, which makes it difficult for them to perform daily activities. While there is no cure for it, doctors often manage symptoms through surgery or by using pain medication.

There are also a number of lifestyle changes that doctors recommend to help patients manage their symptoms, including:

Weight loss

Losing any extra weight relieves the pressure on your joints, which lessens the pain and helps slow down cartilage loss. Overweight osteoarthritis patients can lose weight safely with a balanced diet that is rich in healthy fats, protein, and green, leafy vegetables and avoiding processed foods and added sugar.

Patients are also advised to exercise regularly. Exercise strengthens your muscles, offering better joint support. It also improves range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, and endurance. Exercises with a gentle range of motion, such as walking or swimming, are generally safe and won’t put too much pressure on the joints.

Resting and managing occupational risks

If your job involves a lot of repetitive motion, you may want to talk to your doctor about how you can reduce your osteoarthritis risk, especially if your job requires you to do a lot of kneeling, lifting, twisting, or walking very long distances. Overusing your joints increases your risk, so if your joints ache or seem to be swollen, give them a break. David Crawford MD recommends giving the swollen joint at least 12 to 24 hours of rest. Fatigue also causes pain to osteoarthritis patients, so make sure you get enough rest every night.

Osteoarthritis may be an uncurable disease, but with proper management, you’ll still be able to live a relatively normal life.

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