Arthritis Archive

Hand arthritis makes it tough to do winter activities, such as preparing holiday feasts, shoveling snow, wrapping presents, or using walking or ski poles. It helps to plan out activities, break them up when possible, take lots of breaks, use tools to make the jobs easier, and enlist help if needed. For example, consider asking family and friends to assist with holiday meal prep, or hire a service to remove snow.

Women are disproportionately affected by conditions that cause chronic pain, but they sometimes have difficulty getting a definitive diagnosis as to what is causing their pain and may be less likely to receive appropriate treatments even when they do.

A higher body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, but a 2023 study suggests it is also associated with inflammatory joint conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, and inflammatory spondylitis.

An estimated 32 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, and although exercise is often difficult and painful, a regular resistance training program can help them stay active, improve their level of function, reduce pain, and perhaps avoid the condition worsening to the point where they need a joint replacement. Consulting with a physical therapist is recommended to find the right program to meet a person's needs, fitness level, and limitations.

Some types of cheese, including Swiss and Gouda, are a good source of probiotics, but eat cheese in moderation.

Adopting healthy self-management strategies that focus on a healthy diet, physical activity, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, can improve the quality of life of people with gout. Many of these same strategies can help reduce the risk of developing gout to begin with.

Most older adults can expect to walk more than 100,000 miles during their lifetime, which can take a toll on their feet. With regular foot care, people can address most everyday foot issues like calluses, blisters, and fungus infections. But older adults also need to be mindful about certain problems that can impede their foot health and make mobility difficult, such as heel pain, flat feet, and osteoarthritis.

First-line gout treatment focuses on reducing pain and inflammation. Ideally, treatment should begin within 24 hours of the start of the gout attack. Treatment is stopped once the attack is over, and symptoms have gone away.

There are three main causes of high levels of uric acid that can lead to gout.