A diagnosis of arthritis can be intimidating. More than half a million New Zealanders are living with arthritis. It is a serious health condition with no known cure and the leading cause of disability in our country. The good news is that you can help yourself make living with arthritis easier.
As we age, we can begin to feel the effects of a life playing sports, working and general wear and tear on our joints. Our bones often become less dense and weak, increasing our risk of fractures and breaks. Diet, gut health, exposure to sunlight and exercise levels are all important in maintaining healthy bones and joints and preventing osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Osteoporosis is a common condition where the bones lose strength and become brittle. Bones can be thought as a bank where you deposit and withdraw bone tissue. When growing, we deposit new bone to the skeleton faster than old bone is withdrawn, but after age 40, bone withdrawals can begin to go faster than deposits, leading to osteoporosis....
As we age, we begin to feel the effects of a life working, playing sports and wear on our joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis where the cartilage on each end of the bones in a joint has been worn away, leaving bone rubbing on bone.
Localised pain in a joint or muscle can be caused by many different injuries or wear and tear, from an acute strain or sprain to osteoarthritis and other chronic pain conditions. Creams and rubs can be used without as many side effects as oral medicines, so let’s have a look at some of these treatment options ...
