What can you do to help prevent arthritis?

What causes arthritis?

Arthritis simply means inflammation and pain in one or more of your joints - the areas connecting two bones that allow you to move various parts of your body. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions, each with their own root causes and contributing factors.

Can you prevent arthritis?

There is no sure way to prevent arthritis. However, you can lead a lifestyle that reduces your chances of developing the condition and delays the onset of certain types of arthritis.

Arthritis can't always be avoided, because some higher likelihoods are not modifiable - there isn't anything you can do about them. For example, you can't change your genetic profile:

• Women have a higher chance of developing the condition.

• Having a family history of the condition means you are more prone to getting it.

Healthy lifestyle habits

Arthritis prevention focuses on what you can control - the habits and behaviours in your day-to-day life that you can change to reduce your odds, or delay the onset, of this condition.

If you have healthy joints now, take good care of them and help protect against future pain and immobility by following these joint-friendly rules.

Maintain a healthy weight

Osteoarthritis (OA) generally develops in people over 50 years of age. However, obesity is the main preventable contributor to OA¹ that can cause people of younger age to experience the arthritis symptoms of joint pain and stiffness. This is because carrying excess body weight places extra pressure and stress on your joints. At the same time, an increase in fat cells promotes inflammation.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise is a common treatment for types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Low-impact exercise limits wear and tear while helping to keep your joints strong, as well as the bones and muscles surrounding and supporting them.

Patient picks for Arthritis

Bones, joints and muscles

The best exercises to try if you have arthritis

While embarking on an exercise programme can seem daunting for anyone, that may ring particularly true for people with arthritis. If you’re living with fatigue, pain and stiffness, you may be scared that physical activity will exacerbate your symptoms or damage your joints. However, establishing an appropriate exercise routine is actually one of the best things you can do. It can help you manage your pain better, boost your energy levels, lessen fatigue and improve psychological well-being. On top of this, it can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, putting less strain on your joints.

by Abi Millar

Bones, joints and muscles

Reactive arthritis

Reactive arthritis is a type of arthritis in which you develop inflammation in joints after you have had an infection in some other part of the body. For example, after a bad bout of diarrhoea you might develop a sore knee a couple of weeks later. Symptoms commonly last between a few weeks and a few months. Anti-inflammatory medicines usually ease the pain. Other treatments are sometimes needed. This is an unusual condition that would usually be managed by a specialist.

by Dr Rosalyn Adleman, MRCGP

Follow a healthy diet

The benefits of a healthy diet are almost endless, but one form of arthritis that diet plays a particularly important role in is gout. This condition is caused by an excess of uric acid in your bloodstream, and what you eat can contribute to this.

Food rich in purines - such as offal, game, and marmite - as well as sweetened foods and drinks can all produce a lot of uric acid. As a rule, eating a variation of the main food groups, getting most of your sugar from fruits, and limiting highly processed foods is a great way to protect your joints, general health, and prevent arthritis.

Quit smoking

Smoking is the most significant lifestyle change you can make to reduce your chance of developing RA². This is a form of arthritis that causes inflammation in your joints because your immune system mistakenly attacks your own healthy tissues. Smoking triggers inflammation and may also cause your body to make anti-CCP antibodies - a protein specific to the development of RA.

Limit alcohol

Alongside certain foods, alcohol can also raise your uric acid levels and trigger a gout attack. Alcohol stimulates the production of this chemical in your liver, and beer in particular contains large quantities of purines, contributing further to uric acid production. One study confirmed that regular beer drinkers had a greater likelihood of getting gout compared to those who drink equivalent amounts of wine and spirits³.

Protect against sports injuries

Although sports injuries are accidental, warming up before playing and wearing proper safety equipment - such as supportive footwear and knee pads - could help prevent arthritis caused by joint damage. One of the main causes of OA in people under 50 years is prior sports joint injuries such as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and meniscus tears in the knee⁶.

Further reading

1. Kularni et al: Obesity and osteoarthritis.

2. Chang et al: Smoking and rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Arthritis Foundation: Osteoarthritis.