you can take steps to help prevent osteoarthritis. if you already have arthritis these same steps may keep it from getting worse. try to: stay at a healthy weight or lose weight if you need to. extra weight puts a lot of stress on the large weight-bearing joints such as the knees the hips and the balls of the feet. too much weight can also change the normal shape of the joint which can increase your risk for arthritis. experts estimate that every of body weight adds about of stress to the knee. 2 this means that if you lost just you could take of stress off your knees. be active. a lack of exercise can cause your muscles and joints to become weak. but light to moderate exercise can help keep your muscles strong reduce joint pain and stiffness and slow the time it takes for arthritis to get worse. for example if your quadriceps (the muscles in the front of your thigh) are weak you may be more likely to get arthritis of the knee. 3 for help getting active see: osteoarthritis: exercising with arthritis. protect your joints. when you can try not to do tasks that put repeated stress on your joints such as kneeling squatting or gripping. and try to use the largest joints or strongest muscles to do things. a single major injury to a joint or several minor injuries can damage cartilage over time. for example young adults who have had a serious knee injury are more likely to get arthritis. but they can prevent any more damage to their knee by wearing a brace to keep the knee stable and changing the way they do the activity. in most cases proper use of sports equipment and safe playing conditions can help prevent injuries. for ideas on how to protect your joints during exercise see: quick tips: exercising safely with arthritis. webmd medical reference from healthwise this information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information. © 1995-2011 healthwise incorporated. healthwise healthwise for every health decision and the healthwise logo are trademarks of healthwise incorporated.
how can osteoarthritis be prevented?