Yes, There Are Ways You Could Potentially Reduce Your Risk Of Arthritis
Yes, There Are Ways You Could Potentially Reduce Your Risk Of Arthritis
If you figure you don't need to worry about “arthritis” until you're your grandmother's age, you might want to think again. Yes, it’s true that your chances of having arthritis increase with age, and that risk also jumps if you’re female and have a family history of arthritis, but there are some healthy habits you can start now to help mitigate your risk for more severe arthritis (and just help any joint pain in general) down the line.
First things first: There are over 100 different varieties of arthritis, according to the CDC. “The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which nearly everyone gets as they get older, mainly due to wear and tear on the joints,” says Wei Wei Chi, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Meet the experts: Wei Wei Chi, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City; Jisna Paul, MBBS, a rheumatologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; Tamika Henry, MD, MBA, a board-certified family physician and founder of Unlimited Health Institute.
And then there are inflammatory types of arthritis, including psoriatic arthritis, associated with the inflammatory skin condition psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. These two types are technically classified as autoimmune conditions and can affect people of any age (more commonly, women).
“Neither of these conditions are completely preventable, but certain activities can help slow down the progression of osteoarthritis, and there are some activities that increase your risk of developing certain autoimmune conditions,” Dr. Chi adds.
You don’t have to change your entire lifestyle trying to prevent arthritis from happening—swaps to lower your odds can be as simple as drinking more water or cutting back on your bedtime doom-scrolling to get a better night’s sleep and ideally boost your immune health.
Here are 10 ways you can be proactive about lowering your risk of arthritis.
While not all forms of arthritis are preventable, doctors say there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of developing arthritis as you age.
