best orthopedic doctors, albuquerque

4 Things You’re Doing That Are Ruining Your Joints

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Article by Cassie Shortsleeve | Found on Prevention.com

It used to be that joint replacements were a problem for older people. But today orthopedic surgeons are seeing people in their 40s, 50s, or younger. In fact, surgeons at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City say the number of people younger than 60 going under the knife is up at least 15% in the last 2 years. Plus, data from the National Center for Health Statistics finds the number of hip replacements more than doubled in a 10-year span, skyrocketing by 205% in people ages 45 to 54.

Surgeons attribute the rise to people wanting to stay active while they age, says Calin Moucha, MD, chief of adult reconstruction and joint replacement surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Today’s implants also last longer than they once did, sometimes up to 40 years, he says. This means joint replacements are now an option at a younger age, since physicians aren’t as worried about having to replace them.

But while the surgeries are effective, we’d all prefer to skip a trip to the hospital, right? Here, the top mistakes we all make when it comes to our joints—and how to stay out of harm’s way.

You’re a runner and only a runner.

Moucha says that many patients seeking joint replacement are in good cardiovascular health, but not necessarily good physical health. If you’re running marathons or triathlons only, you might have imbalances when it comes to muscle strength and flexibility. And this, paired with repetitive trauma over time, could lead to arthritis, he notes, causing your joints to wear away.

“It’s important to cross-train,” says Moucha. Giving certain muscle groups (like the ones you use on long, slow jogs) a break once or twice a week while activating new muscles (like the ones you might use sprinting) can fend off injury, he notes. (You should consider working these strength-training moves into your exercise program.)

You let your weight go.

When you run, your knee joints carry 7 to 9 times your body weight, according to Moucha. While your body can handle this—some research suggests that runners aren’t at an increased risk for issues like osteoarthritis—it’s important to keep the scale in check. “From a biomechanical standpoint, increased weight is a lot of stress,” Moucha says. In fact, research out of the UK finds that overweight people are at a 40% or higher increased risk of a knee replacementdown the line compared to those at normal weights. The link was even stronger in younger people.

You skip stretching.

The key to joint health? Achieving a good balance between strength and flexibility, says Moucha. “As you get older, you need to spend as much time, if not more time, stretching than strengthening.” Why? Because the more candles on the birthday cake, the less flexible your muscles become, and flexible muscles help keep joints mobile.

You push yourself beyond your limits in yoga.

Intense workouts like HIIT and mud runs aren’t the only way to injure your joints. While yoga and Pilates are great ways to boost flexibility and strength, anything extreme when it comes to range of motion—like reaching for that pose your body’s not quite ready for—can put you at risk for a joint injury, notes Moucha. “When you create range of motion extremes, you can create bony spurs (projections along a bone’s edges) that may predispose you to arthritis,” he says. Your best bet isn’t to skip yoga but rather to stick with the modifications that work for you, and give yourself time before trying anything you might not be ready for.

New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.