28 May Degeneration: let’s slow the process
Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
Bottom line
Degenerative joint disease is a condition that can affect almost every joint in your body. It can cause pain, inflammation, crepitus (crackling sound when moving) and stiffness and it occurs when the joints between bones start to deteriorate from different stressors in life. It can manifest itself in many ways including different types of arthritis. Unfortunately, DJD is a condition that occurs naturally as we age however it is a process that can be slowed with simple lifestyle changes.
Why it matters
The joints in your body are designed to handle all sorts of loads and allow smooth movement. However, when these joints become overloaded or chronically stressed, they undergo degeneration at a rate faster than normal which can cause early onset arthritic changes.
Many studies have been undertaken to understand the issue of DJD and many solutions to slow down the degeneration process have been uncovered. Here are three key concepts to help slow down degeneration:
Firstly – EXERCISE. Its as simple as that. 30 mins of daily exercise can have incredible benefits to your health and wellbeing. Getting those joints moving and bringing blood flow to them help to provide nutrients and oxygen needed to keep them healthy.
Secondly – Quit unhealthy habits. Its not enough to implement healthier lifestyle changes, we have to also banish the unhealthy habits. Quitting smoking and minimising alcohol intake are two changes that can have a massive effect on improving your joint health as well as your overall health.
Thirdly – Seek regular care. There are many allied health professions that aim to improve the function of your joints and allow them to stay healthy for longer. Chiropractic, Osteopathy and Physiotherapy are three such professions that help to improve your overall health and can have excellent results in slowing the DJD process.
Next steps
Becoming older shouldn’t mean you are inevitably going to become sore and stiff in the knees, hips or back. By being proactive today and taking steps to improve your health you can give yourself the opportunity to stay active and out of pain for the years moving forward.
Science sources
Sacroiliac Joint Pain and Its Treatment. 2016.
Exercise and self-management for people with chronic knee, hip or lower back pain: a cluster randomised controlled trial of clinical and cost-effectiveness. Study protocol. 2014.
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