You Can Fight Osteoarthritis

If you think you may have osteoarthritis, the best thing you can do for yourself is to take a pro-active role in your health. You should see your primary care physician as soon as possible. He or she can use x-rays to monitor how far along your osteoarthritis has progressed, and possibly recommend prescription medication.

You and your doctor can work together to make a plan that is right for you and your osteoarthritis. Not only will this plan help you slow down the progression of your osteoarthritis, but it will also teach you how to manage your pain and live an active and normal life. Your plan will include weight control, medication, exercise, joint protection, and possibly occupational or physical therapy.

Osteoarthritis is regarded as the most common type of arthritis. As you may have guessed, Osteoarthritis can be caused by many number of things. Overweight individuals are at the highest risk category for osteoarthritis, since carrying the excess weight can cause joint cartilage to break down. Previous joint injuries can also leave you prone to osteoarthritis. If you have suffered an injury to a joint, or if you do workouts which are high impact, you should monitor the health of your joints.

Although most individuals with osteoarthritis are hesitant or prefer not to exercise, your doctor will likely encourage you to exercise. Exercise will help your joints from becoming stiff and it will also help strengthen your muscles. When you first start exercising, you may experience pain. This will usually decrease with time, but you may find that over the counter medications help to relieve the pain. You may also want to apply compresses to your joints. Here