Joint health is more relevant than ever, especially as active lifestyles and longer lifespans make it crucial to keep our joints strong and mobile. Awareness about your joint health allows us to take preventive measures and make informed choices that keep us moving freely and comfortably into the future.
Types of Joints
Hinge Joints
Hinge joints make it possible for two bones to move along one plane. This means that they can bend and straighten.
Hinge joints have cartilage that covers the bones to protect them, but they need to be lubricated, and synovial fluid makes this happen. This thick gel allows the bones to move against each other without creating friction. Examples of hinge joints include the following:
• Ankles
• Knees
• Elbows
• Toe joints
• Finger joints
Ball-and-Socket Joints
Ball-and-socket joints contain a ball on one bone and a socket on the other. Ball-and-socket joints are multi-axial, meaning these bones operate on more than one axis. Therefore, the joint can allow us to move our limbs in more than one direction and allow for flexion or bending, rotation or the action of rotating, adduction or moving inward, abduction or moving outward, and extension or being stretched out.
Pivot Joints
A pivot joint exists between a bone and another at the cylindrical end. Pivot joints are uniaxial, so they only allow movement to rotate around a single axis. An example of a pivot joint is located on the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae. The first is the atlas, and the second is the axis, called the “atlantoaxial joint.” The atlantoaxial joint allows you to turn your head from side to side.
Gliding Joints
Gliding joints are synovial joints that prevent friction between two bones. They only allow for gliding movements in two planes of motion: flexion and extension. The body has several gliding joints, including the following:
• Proximal, between the tibia and fibula
• Tarsal joints between the bones of the foot
• Carpal joints, between the bones of the wrist
• Facet joints between adjacent vertebrae
• Patellofemoral joint, between the patella and the femur
• Sacroiliac joint, between the sacrum and the ilium
• Sternocostal joints, between the ribs except for the first and the sternum
• Acromioclavicular joint, between the acromion and the scapula
Joint Issues
Sprains
A sprain is when you stretch or tear a ligament. Ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue between two bones in your joints. They connect all of the bones in your body. Ligaments also have the job of keeping your joints from moving in the direction that they are not supposed to move.
A sprain occurs when the ligament of one joint becomes damaged. This injury causes swelling, pain and the inability to place weight on the injured body part.
Arthritis
Arthritis causes swelling and tenderness on one joint or several. Symptoms of arthritis are pain and stiffness in your joints, and these symptoms worsen as you age. Two of the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis: This condition causes the cartilage to break down.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the linings.
Bursitis
The sites of bursitis are the fluid-filled sacs known as “bursae.” These bursae cushion the muscles, tendons and bones near the joints. When they become inflamed, bursitis occurs. Most people experience bursitis in the hips, elbows and shoulders. Bursitis can also occur near the knee, the base of the big toe and the heel. The location where bursitis often occurs is where the joints need to engage in frequent repetitive movements.
Lifestyle Choices
Regular Exercise
Exercise promotes the health of your joints. The synovial fluid is the lubricant that allows your joints to glide past each other without causing friction. Exercise helps your body produce more synovial fluid; as you move your joints, you also keep them from becoming stiff.
A Balanced Diet Rich in Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Several foods fight the inflammation that arthritis causes and reduce the pain of arthritis. This type of diet needs to contain several whole foods, including beans, nuts, fish, vegetables and fruit. The Mediterranean diet has several foods that have anti-inflammatory properties and is often recommended for those with arthritis. Several studies demonstrated that foods in the Mediterranean diet cause you to lose weight. This reduces the weight you bear on your joints and alleviates pain. It also reduces the inflammation that arthritis causes.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Excess pounds put a lot of pressure on your joints, which stresses and damages them. Going up or down the stairs or bending also increases this pressure. Because fat is chemically active, it is always releasing proteins that increase the inflammation in your body, and they do not miss a spot. They travel everywhere, cause inflammation in every portion of your body and increase the pressure on your cartilage. This causes further damage by releasing even more chemicals that destroy your joints.
Taking Care of Your Posture
Good posture reduces the risk of arthritis by reducing the stress that your joints experience. This is especially the case with your spine, hips and knees. If your posture is poor, it changes how your joints experience pressure and this causes your cartilage to become damaged.
Always try to sit up straight, change positions when standing or sitting for long periods and walk with good posture. When you need to carry something heavy, bear the weight with your arms rather than your hands. When you go to bed, support your lower back and knees with pillows.
Hormonal Balance
Human growth hormone, or HGH, is a hormone your body naturally produces that supports growth and tissue repair, including the cartilage in your joints. If you have an HGH deficiency, HGH therapy can help improve joint health by promoting tissue repair and reducing inflammation. Consider consulting a specialist to find out how to buy HGH.
