Arthritis, which can be traced to genetics, activities, and weight as well as age and gender likelihoods, is caused by the wear and tear of joint cartilage. It can be accelerated by injury, obesity, and constant motions at work or even during sports activities that wear on the joints. General symptoms of arthritis may include:
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Tenderness
- Limited range of motion
- A grating sensation during activity
It’s estimated that 23% of all adults in the United States - that’s 54 million people - have arthritis. Even so, there are many different myths surrounding arthritis – let’s take a look at some of them.
Myth Number 1: All joint issues and pain are automatically arthritis.
While arthritis is common, especially with age and after injury, there are soft-tissue injuries and other conditions such as tendonitis and bursitis that could be the cause of joint pain.
Myth Number 2: You shouldn’t ice a flare-up of arthritis – you should heat it.
Both heat and cold can reduce the inflammation, pain, and stiffness that comes with arthritis. Heat can be helpful in that it dilates blood vessels which stimulates blood circulation. Heat can also reduce muscle spasms. You could put dry heat (heating pads or heat lamps) or moist heat (warm baths, heated washcloths). Cold packs constrict blood vessels, reducing swelling and numbing deep pain.
Myth Number 3: You should stop activities if your arthritis is bothering you.
While a short rest can be beneficial, regular exercise can help you to keep muscles strong and keep the range of motion in your joints. When movement is especially painful, take a break, but then commit to resuming activities – perhaps with a knee brace or knee compression sleeve to aid the pain.
Myth Number 4: Diet changes can cure arthritis.
You may read or hear a variety of things that people tend to talk about as cures for arthritis – everything from grapefruit, rum-soaked raisins, to eggplant or other “nightshade” vegetables – and none of it is founded in the truth. There are no cures, but some things may help with managing symptoms.
Myth Number 5: Arthritis gives you weather forecasting superpowers.
While some people do report being sensitive to damp, rainy weather, not everyone with arthritis can feel a storm coming. Humidity doesn’t necessarily correlate with arthritis pain according to scientific studies.
Myth Number 6: Supplements benefit everyone who has arthritis.
Curcumin, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate are sometimes brought up in discussions about arthritis because of their anti-inflammatory, pain relief, and other helpful properties. Even though these may have useful benefits, they might not be applicably beneficial to every case and cause of arthritis. Some supplements can aid in the regrowth of worn-out cartilage.
Myth Number 7: There’s only one kind of arthritis.
There are actually more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, and even more “arthritis-related conditions.” Some common types of arthritis include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Reactive arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
Myth Number 8: Arthritis is the same in severity in every person.
There is a whole range of severity in the symptoms of arthritis, depending on the type, individual, and various circumstances.
Myth Number 9: Arthritis only affects the older population.
While age causes the likelihood of having arthritis to go up, RA affects those as young as 16, and it is not completely uncommon to have issues in middle age – around 40 – with certain forms.
Myth Number 10: Arthritis means the end of an active lifestyle.
This is absolutely not true. Especially with the care of a doctor, and the best support tools like Physix Gear’s knee brace and knee sleeves - you can continue to live a very active lifestyle and enjoy many or all of the same activities you have enjoyed and more!