Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States.1 While you may not be able to prevent or cure arthritis, you can manage some risk factors and protect your joints with a few healthy habits.
Learn more about preventive care
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition that can cause swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion in your joints. Arthritis symptoms can range from mild to severe and may get worse over time.
How to reduce your risk of arthritis
Some causes of arthritis are beyond your control, like growing older, being female or having a family history of arthritis. But you can take steps to reduce your risk of arthritis or delay its onset.
Here’s how to keep your joints healthy as you age:
- Stay at a healthy weight. Extra pounds put pressure on weight-bearing joints like hips and knees. Each pound you gain adds nearly four pounds of stress on your knees and puts six times the pressure on your hips.
- Control your blood sugar. High blood sugar can stiffen the tissue that supports your joints and make them more sensitive to stress.
- Exercise. Just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week helps joints stay limber and strengthens the muscles that support your knees and hips. Focus on low-impact exercises like walking, cycling or swimming.
- Stretch. Gentle stretching can improve your range of motion and keep your joints limber. Try to work in simple stretches into every day.
- Avoid injury. An injured joint is more likely to develop arthritis than one that was never injured. Wear protective gear when playing sports and always lift with your knees and hips, not your back.
- Quit smoking. Smoking puts stress on tissues that protect your joints and can lead to arthritis pain. Learn how Blue Cross can help you quit.
- Eat fish twice a week. Eat fish high in Omega-3s, like salmon, trout and mackerel. Omega-3s have many health benefits and may reduce inflammation.
- Get routine preventive care. Your doctor may be able to suggest lifestyle changes that can help reduce your risk or slow the progress of arthritis.
Types of arthritis
There are more than 100 types of arthritis. The two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis
This “wear and tear” arthritis is the most common form. It often comes with age, but can also result from injury or being overweight. It happens when the tissue that cushions your joints wears away, causing pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body, but is most common in hands, knees, hips and spine.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
Symptoms vary, depending on the joints affected. They often worsen over time. Talk with your doctor if you notice these signs of osteoarthritis:
- Pain deep in the joint
- Trouble gripping things, squatting or climbing stairs
- Limited range of motion
- Morning stiffness that improves with activity
- Stiffness after resting
- Swollen joints
Rheumatoid arthritis
This autoimmune disease causes joints to become inflamed. If you don’t treat it, the inflammation can cause severe joint damage.
Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects more than one joint and can spread to other parts of the body, including the heart, lungs and eyes. Some people who have rheumatoid arthritis get lumps that form over joint areas, often on knuckles, elbows and heels.
Doctors don’t know for sure what causes rheumatoid arthritis. Some think it happens when a bacteria or virus confuses the immune system and causes it to attack joints.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
Signs may come on suddenly or develop over time. They are often more severe than osteoarthritis. It’s important to see your doctor if you notice:
- Pain, stiffness or swelling in multiple joints
- Symmetrical pattern — if your left wrist is inflamed, your right wrist will likely be inflamed as well
- More of your joints may become painful and swollen over time
- Swelling doesn’t go away and may affect your ability to work, walk or manage daily activities like dressing or driving
- Fatigue and weight loss
Treatments for arthritis
If you start to develop arthritis, see your doctor as soon as symptoms appear. The longer you wait to seek treatment, the more joint damage arthritis may cause. Your doctor can suggest treatment that can slow the progress of arthritis and help keep you mobile.
Arthritis treatments include:
- Drugs that reduce pain and inflammation. These can include over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen, or drugs your doctor may prescribe.
- Drugs that suppress the immune system. These may be taken orally or injected into the affected joint.
- Topical creams and ointments. Commonly available over the counter, these treatments are applied to the skin to reduce joint aches and pains.
- Physical therapy. In some cases, physical therapy may help strengthen muscles and improve range of motion.
- Surgery. Joints that are severely damaged by arthritis may need to be repaired or replaced. Joints most commonly replaced are hips and knees.
Blue Cross is here for your health
Blue Cross and Blue Plus makes it easy to get answers to your health questions. Your plan may offer you online access to doctors or a 24-hour nurse line. You’ll also have a variety of health resources at your fingertips. You may even be rewarded for working out regularly, too.2
If you do not have health insurance, Blue Cross and Blue Plus offer a range of health plans to meet your needs and budget. All health plans include preventive care coverage along with tools and resources to help you stay healthy and protect the health of your entire family.
Talk with an agent or a Blue Cross advisor to learn more.