NCTV Episode 38

Continuing with the series of bitesize health tip videos which can be found here on my YouTube Channel, this episode, includes:-

  • Ways to keep the joints strong
  • Ways to reduce pain
  • Ways to maintain optical joint health
  • Ways to reduce impact on the joints
  • Ways to improve joint mechanics and movement

Transcript

If you’d prefer to read the content within, rather than watch the video, then feel free to read the transcript, as follows:-

Hello and welcome to NCTV Episode 38 fresh outta Lockdown Version 2.0 in the UK and today’s episode is about what you can do to avoid joint replacement surgery. The most common joint replacements tend to be the hips and knees so we’ll be focussing mostly on these areas.

For the statisticians out there, by 2030, the demand for total hip replacements is estimated to increase 174% to 572,000 procedures; and the demand for total knee replacements is projected to increase 673% to 3.48 million procedures.

In some cases, joint replacements are necessity due to debilitating pain, irreparable damage, advanced degeneration and chronic immobility, so they certainly have their place and can be a great treatment option.

However, there are also some big risks associated with these procedures and in most cases this should be seen as a last resort as there are plenty of things you can do and implement early, in order to prevent being in a position where joint replacement surgery is necessary further down the line.

Pain is the primary reason for joint replacement surgery so if you can eliminate pain, you may eliminate the need for joint replacement surgery, in some cases.

So what can you do to keep your joints strong, reduce pain and avoid surgery?:-

1) Your first line of defence is to maintaining a healthy weight because excess stress on joints can cause cartilage to break down more quickly. Losing just 5 percent of your body weight or even just 10 – 15 pounds, can relieve excess joint pressure and make a huge difference. Although it won’t replace cartilage; there should still be a reduction in pain and restriction.

For best results, seek the advice of a dietician or nutritionist to reduce calories whilst ensuring you’re getting the baseline of what your body needs to build muscle and keep up your energy.

A typical guideline is 130 grams per day of carbohydrates for both men and women, and 56g of protein per day for men, 46g of protein per day for women.

2) Your second line of defence is to exercise regularly. This may be contrary to what you might think but limiting physical activity can make joint damage worse. Inactivity leads to cartilage loss between bones and can lead to bone-on-bone contact, which is extremely painful. Exercise helps to stimulate the release of synovial fluid, and provides the cartilage with nutrients to lubricate and loosen the joint.

Things like aerobic exercises and low-impact activities such as the elliptical cross trainer, a recumbent exercise bike, walking and swimming at least 3 times week will help you to achieve optimal joint health.

As a general rule of thumb though when it comes to exercise, if it hurts, don’t do it. Sometimes it’s appropriate to push through some pain, but in general—and certainly when it comes to hip pain—modifying activities is the best way to avoid continued damage and pain.

And one final point on the matter, be sure to wear appropriate footwear that will provide enough support and cushioning to act as a shock absorber for your joints.

3) Third, one of the main components of joint surgery avoidance is strengthening the muscles that support your joints. The quadriceps in the front of the thigh and the hamstrings in the back are key to knee strength. Every time you walk or run or do anything weight-bearing, the quads absorb the shock. So the stronger your quads are, the less load that gets transferred into the joint.

Also, the gluteal muscles in the buttocks and flexors in the pelvis are important for hip strength and flexibility.

Additionally, working on your core strength will keep your joints more supported and in better alignment.

With daily exercise you’ll usually notice a difference in the muscles within 4-6 weeks but note that you can never go back to a nonactive lifestyle. Because the body doesn’t restore cartilage, if you stop, you’ll go back to the way you felt before.

4) Fourth, the use of supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin can have beneficial effects on osteoarthritis.

5) Fifth, joint supports can be helpful and if you take an arthritic knee for example, you could use a knee unloader brace which reduces the load on the painful side of the knee, and shifts the stresses to the side with minimal arthritis.

6) Sixth and in terms of medications for pain reduction, there are over-the-counter meds such as ibuprofen that people find helpful and although sometimes controversial, for those in severe pain, prescription meds like opioid analgesics can be administered if there is no response to other treatments.

7) Seventh, injections are an option in the form of cortisone, hyaluronic acid and platelet rich plasma therapy. These don’t work for everyone but if you do get reduced pain and inflammation from these, you should take advantage and use it as an opportunity to make other behavioural changes that will help, such as losing weight and exercising more.

8) And Eighth, which is last but by no means least, it would be amiss for me to not mention physical therapy with the likes of osteopathy, acupuncture or physio to focus on things like joint mechanics, pain control, muscle strength and improved joint range of motion to help fend off the need for joint replacement surgery.

So that wraps this episode, see you next time for some more bitesize bits to help your health flourish. Bye bye for now.