By Professor Anthony Woolf
Healthy bones and joints gives us the freedom to move and do what we need and want to do but arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions cause pain and limit this. Also, as we get older we get stiffer, slower, weaker and our bones become fragile and break more easily.
How can you invest in your bones and joints so you maintain your pain free mobility? What can you do if you have arthritis or another musculoskeletal condition that causes pain and limits what you can do?
This website provides a lot of information of what you should do and what support and opportunities there are across Cornwall.
The key message is to look after your bones and joints are:
- Keep active – any physical activity is good for your bones and joints but the more effort the better. Maintain your fitness, your stamina, muscle strength, balance and coordination. Many do not run or got the gym but a regular brisk walk is almost as beneficial and achievable by most. If you get pain with walking, go cautiously, listen to your body but still keep as active as you can.
- Eat healthily – being overweight puts a strain on your joints and can worsen or cause problems like arthritis in hips or knees or back pain. Calcium and vitamin D are good for the skeleton. Fish oil may help with aches and pains.
- Avoid stress as tense muscles cause pain and stress can make it harder to ignore pain. Lack of sleep also makes it harder to tolerate pain.
- Avoid falls – maintain your balance and coordination through keeping physically activity and by avoiding trip hazards in and out of the home. A walking pole can be useful on uneven paths.
- Seek support if you experience pain that affects your everyday activities. Look at information available on the website. You do not need to lose independence or suffer in silence.
The Cornwall Arthritis Trust is here to support people across Cornwall to maintain their bone and joint health and help if they have problems and need to know what they should do. Please contact us if you cannot find the information you seek –info@cornwallarthritis.org.uk
Written by Professor Anthony Woolf – Retired Consultant Rheumatologist, Chair Cornwall Arthritis Trust & Director MSK Aware CIC (December 2024)
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