“Old Arthur, the legend: An exposé on the life of arthritis.
Arthritis (affectionately referred to as ‘Old Arthur’, who, like that annoying cousin who’s always making everyone so uncomfortable) has been a major topic among many of my clients over the years. It is a leading cause of pain & dysfunction especially in ‘aging’ populations. What I have learned is that most people think they know what arthritis is, but grossly overestimate it. Sadly, they have been misled & gaslighted into fearing it. It is this fear that actually drives the disability associated with arthritis. Those folks who learn the truth about arthritis in PT sessions suddenly find themselves empowered & have a newfound sense of ability. In short, arthritis’ bark is worse than its bite!
Arthritis happens over time, right? We see hunched-over 90-yr old ladies riddled with arthritis & we think this is ‘just the way it will be’. The tread on your tires wears down over time…and therefore our cartilage does the same. Or does it???
It is true that arthritis is more prominent later in life. It’s reasonable to expect that you’ll have more arthritis when you’re 100 yrs old than you do now. In fact, arthritis begins naturally in your late 20’s (yep…it’s all downhill from there…!) & accumulates over the years. According to the research, arthritis is guaranteed by the time you hit 72. But (and this is important)…not all 72-yr olds are crippled with arthritis. In fact, arthritis is NOT synonymous with pain. You can have arthritis & not have pain!
The Many Names of Arthritis
Arthritis goes by many names, especially if you ever read your x-ray reports. Here are a few of the more common:
- Degenerative Joint Disease
- Arthropathy
- Spondylosis
- Osteophytic Growth
- Bone Spurs
All ugly & scary sounding. My goodness, if you have ‘degenerative joint disease’, then you should be extra cautious & give up doing a lot of things you enjoy, because soon you’ll be bone-on-bone! (Cue up commercial for Aleve now!)
Words do matter. Harry-scary technical medical jargon tends to create fear. I believe some industries prey & thrive on this fear…but that is a topic for another time. As we age, we wrinkle on the outside. We also wrinkle on the inside. We give our outside wrinkles cute names like ‘laugh lines’ and ‘crow’s feet’. Thanks goodness we don’t run around telling people that they have ‘degenerative face disease’!!
How Your Joints Work
Unlike the tread on your tires, cartilage does not wear down with use. In fact, cartilage is stimulated through use. Blood carries oxygen & nutrients to all tissues in your body & then it carries away waste byproducts. Muscles are red because they are rich in blood supply. Because muscles have easy & direct access to life-giving blood, they tend to heal fairly quickly. Cartilage, on the other hand, is white. In fact, it’s actually opaque because it does not have blood vessels. Cartilage gets its nutrients & eliminates its waste byproducts not from blood, but from an indirect method – the synovial fluid.
All joints in your body are surrounded by a capsule which creates a closed system. Blood vessels supply nutrient-, water- & oxygen-rich blood to the outside of the capsule. These nutrients are then pulled into the inside lining of the joint called the synovial lining. The synovial lining then creates synovial fluid which is pumped in to bathe your cartilage in those nutrients. Synovial fluid is clear & very viscous -super slick. It is your joint’s oil & is stimulated through movement of the joint.
Cartilage acts like a sponge. When it is squeezed or compressed, it presses out water & its byproducts. When it is decompressed, it soaks up the synovial fluid. The cyclical motion of movement stimulates this necessary exchange of water & nutrients. It is proven that runners & weightlifters have some of the best cartilage later in life, if they have been able to avoid significant injury. Injury to a joint initiates & accelerates the arthritic process, which is why it is important to perform activities safely. It also means that movement is the key to slowing down arthritis. Put another way…lack of movement is actually more detrimental to your joint health than running!
Who Gets the Worst Arthritis?
In my world, there are 2 classes of people with the worst arthritis & they are on opposing ends of the spectrum. There are those who were too hard on their bodies & accumulated many injuries (i.e., farmers, firefighters, police, bull riders). These individuals’ injuries outpaced the cartilage’s ability to heal. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who did very little (i.e., truck drivers). These individuals essentially starved their cartilage to death.
As arthritis progresses, you may experience symptoms…but don’t fret. Most people experience stiffness especially after a period of time without movement. Think about how it feels first thing in the morning when you get out of bed. Or when you stand up after watching a movie or you get out of the car/plane after a long trip. Without movement, your joints get low on oil. Stiff achiness is like your low oil indicator in your car. When you notice this ‘low oil” indicator, take necessary action to move & pump in more oil!
To summarize, we all will experience varying degrees of arthritis as we age, a bit more with injuries, but certainly worse with a sedentary lifestyle. Movement is the key to cartilage health & longevity, so keep on walking, weightlifting, cycling, swimming & running! And, in order to minimize long-term negative effects, remember to consult with your PT should any joint injury occur.
Keep on moving!”
For more info about Corey and/or his mobile physical therapy options, please email or call him at 208.570.3004.