Aches and Pains in Your Joints More Than Osteoarthritis?

Keeping your joints jumpin' is a go-to-the-head-of-the-class move. You never know when you'll have a chance to climb the Statue of Liberty's 354 steps or need to haul shopping bags across a mall parking lot in search of your car. But thanks to new research that grabbed us by our lab-coat lapels, giving your joints plenty of TLC just got upgraded to genius status: Not only could it save your hips, knees, and back from painful arthritis, it could save your life. (What's your JointAge? Find out how old your knees, hips, and hands are with this quick quiz.)

Turns out knee or hip osteoarthritis -- the common joint destroyer that dogs 1 in 4 of us by middle age and 2 in 5 by age 75 -- doesn't just make you a connoisseur of pain killers and knee supporters. (Spoiler alert: sobering statistics ahead!) Painful joints also raise your risk for an early death by 55%, boosting your odds of dying from heart disease by 71%, of deadly cancers by 32%, of lethal breathing problems by 29%, and of fatal dementia by a whopping 99%. Chronic back pain seems to pose similar threats to your heart. (Remember, spines are basically a joint fiesta.)

Whoa! That's maybe the best motivation ever (other than dancing at your favorite niece's wedding) for resolving never to let a twinge take you out of action for long. Sitting and lying down are big reasons things go really badly when parts of your skeleton start acting up. Sure, if your knees or hips are howling, or your back's in spasm, your first instinct is to stay still. That's okay for a few days while the pain backs off. But after that, staying still only makes joints feel worse, triggering what's been called "the cycle of inactivity." You sit so long you get stiff . . . so when you do move, your joints feel worse . . . so you sit some more. You gain weight because you're not burning calories with physical activity. When you do move, the extra weight stresses your knees, hips, and spine. Meanwhile, your muscles have gone to pot from lack of use. So you sit some more.

More weight and less activity aren't the only life-shorteners arthritic joints encourage. Regularly taking certain kinds of pain relievers increases your risk for heart attacks and strokes. It's not that you shouldn't get pain relief; just get help from your own doc (naproxen or acetaminophen may be your smartest non-Rx choices). Finally, the joint damage from osteoarthritis can cause smoldering, bodywide inflammation that fuels cancer, dementia, diabetes, and heart disease.

Millions and millions of North Americans live with arthritic hips, bum knees, and bad backs. (Want to see if you might have rheumatoid arthritis?) If you're one of them, or are having blips of joint pain that suggest you will be soon, here's how to stay off the inactive list:

• Don't shrug off small ouches. If your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, or grandparents have osteoarthritis, take those twinges very seriously. Arthritis isn't just the result of high school football or cheerleading injuries. Genetics play a role. The sooner you start to prevent trouble (see below), the healthier your joints -- and the longer your life -- will be.


• Get a move on. Stretches, strength training, and joint-friendly activities like swimming or riding an exercise bike can make a huge difference, whether you're in small trouble or serious straits. Ask your doc for a referral to a physical therapist so you're sure you're doing the right things. Simply building up your quads -- the powerful muscles in the fronts of your thighs -- can significantly reduce knee pain, even if some of the cushioning cartilage between your knee bones is totally worn away. A gentle yoga routine that's modified to suit your joints will likely help, too. Afraid exercise might hurt? Staying in bed is worse! Just start slowly, and back off any move that's painful; work with your therapist to find an alternative.


• Lose some weight. Every excess pound you shed takes 4 pounds of pressure off your knees. On a 1-mile walk, that translates to 4,800 fewer pounds that your knees have to support! Your hips and back benefit, too, and your odds of needing a hip replacement go way down. (You won't want to miss these low-cal recipes for healthy joints.)


• Eat against inflammation. Many foods help stifle joint-damaging, heart-threatening inflammation, and they're all on the delicious list. Some of the best: berries, ginger, avocado, walnuts, salmon, and trout. The potent inflammation fighters in many of them are omega-3s; to be sure you get enough, take a DHA omega-3 supplement made from algae (where fish get their omega-3s). (Try these other foods to soothe inflammation and pain.)

Already in pretty bad joint trouble? Get serious about getting better. If your joint pain's so severe that walking is difficult, see a rheumatologist, stat. And buckle down about exercise, weight loss, medical treatments, and/or surgery. (Learn more about managing chronic pain.)

In the new data, people with such bad arthritic pain that they couldn't walk were at the highest risk of dying. Scary, but we thought you should know. Because you can make a YOU-turn. And you DO want to dance at your next big family wedding! Just like Mehmet did at his daughter's beautiful marriage last summer. (Find out how small changes in your everyday habits can ease pain and inflammation and make your RealAge younger. Take our free test!)