Joint wear after 40: how to maintain mobility

After the age of 40, discomfort in the knees, hips, or hands becomes a common complaint. Morning stiffness, crunching, and pain after exertion often indicate osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease in which articular cartilage is destroyed, bone structure changes, and chronic inflammation of the surrounding tissues occurs.

This is not an inevitable consequence of old age, but a condition whose progression can be significantly slowed down by lifestyle changes and timely diagnosis by an orthopedic traumatologist.

What happens to the joint?

Articular cartilage is an elastic tissue that covers the bone surfaces and ensures smooth movement. Its structure changes with age:

1. The content of water and proteoglycans responsible for elasticity decreases;
2. the balance between the formation and destruction of cartilage cells is disturbed;
3. microcracks and thinning of the integumentary layer appear.

At the same time, the subcartilage bone thickens, bone growths (osteophytes) can form, and the joint capsule loses its elasticity.

Factors that accelerate cartilage destruction

Although age is an important factor, there are triggers that significantly accelerate joint wear and tear.

1. Excessive weight

Each extra kilogram increases the pressure on the knees by 3-4 times.

2. History of injuries

Meniscus or ligament injuries, even from a decade ago, increase the risk of arthritis.

3. Muscle weakness

The entire shock load during walking falls directly on the joint.

4. Metabolic disorders

High sugar levels and lipid metabolism disorders support inflammation in tissues.

When to see a doctor

In the early stages, symptoms may not be typical, but osteoarthritis is indicated by

• discomfort that occurs at the beginning of movement after rest and disappears after 10-15 minutes of activity
• morning stiffness in the joints that lasts no more than 30 minutes
• crunching accompanied by pain or a feeling of bone rubbing against bone
• joint swelling, localized fever.

Strategy for slowing down osteoarthritis

1. Weight control

The most effective way to reduce pain. Reducing body weight by even 5% relieves critical stress on the joints and reduces systemic inflammation in the body.

2. Movement as a treatment

Cartilage has no blood vessels, it only receives nutrition during movement (by diffusion). Best for:

• swimming and water aerobics (no axial load);
• Nordic walking (involves the muscles of the back and arms, relieving the legs);
• Bicycle or exercise bike.

3. Realistic approach to medications

It is important to understand that no drug can "grow" new cartilage.

• Chondroprotectors: can reduce pain, but their effectiveness in restoring joint structure has not been proven.
• Hyaluronic acid injections: act as a temporary lubricant, making it easier to slide into the joint.

It is impossible to stop time, but osteoarthritis is not a sentence. The combination of a healthy lifestyle and timely support from specialists can postpone surgery (endoprosthetics) for decades or even avoid it altogether.

Олена Болган