Arthritis Archive

Osteoarthritis affects more women than men. Risk factors include earlier joint injuries, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or family history. People can try to prevent arthritis by staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in low-impact exercise.

People with arthritis often avoid exercise because of their painful joints. However, exercise is one of the best ways to manage their symptoms, stay active, and improve their quality of life. Specific exercise routines can be designed around a person's type of arthritis, severity, and location, but usually focus on three areas: stretching, strength training, and low-impact aerobics.

Hallux rigidus is stiffness in the big toe caused by arthritis in its joint. It can be treated with anti-inflammatory medication or sometimes a corticosteroid injection, but if these measures are unsuccessful, surgery may be necessary.

In a 2023 study, people who engaged in regular strength training were less likely than those who didn't to develop knee pain and knee osteoarthritis as they approached their senior years.

Even if arthritis runs in one's family, people can still lower their risk for the three most common types—osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout—by adopting lifestyle and dietary changes.

A 2023 study suggests that women who have both ovaries removed before menopause face higher odds of several health conditions, including arthritis, sleep apnea, and bone fractures.

Hand arthritis makes it tough to do winter activities, such as preparing holiday feasts, shoveling snow, wrapping presents, or using walking or ski poles. It helps to plan out activities, break them up when possible, take lots of breaks, use tools to make the jobs easier, and enlist help if needed. For example, consider asking family and friends to assist with holiday meal prep, or hire a service to remove snow.

Women are disproportionately affected by conditions that cause chronic pain, but they sometimes have difficulty getting a definitive diagnosis as to what is causing their pain and may be less likely to receive appropriate treatments even when they do.