 |
||||
|
ARTHRITIS Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States; 16 million adults have their activities limited by arthritis. That's me winning the Panamerican Games in 1983. Back then, I ran about 30 miles a week, along with weightlifting and, of course, judo. Now I can't run at all. There is no cure for arthritis. Being raised in America where we tend to think that there is a scientific solution for everything, I went to an orthopedic surgeon and I was shocked when he shook his head and told me that he couldn't fix me. |
||||
|
Osteoarthritis is a disease in which your cartilage - that stuff at the end of your bones that keeps them from rubbing against each other - starts to wear away. It hurts to move, and reduces your range of motion. How to get arthritis Repetitive motion - running, thousands of the same judo exercises, thousands of the same weight exercises - are one way to start tearing your cartilage. I have arthritis in my knees and in my hands. I did almost all of the things any doctor would tell you not to do. Ignore the pain and continue the activity - that will just make it worse (I did that, too). Not only did I spend thousands of hours gripping judo gis, but I also spent more thousands of hours typing on a computer. Be overweight. People who are overweight are more likely to have arthritis, particularly in the weight-bearing joints, such as the knees. Rheumatoid arthritis also is a disease in which individuals have painful,stiff and swollen joints. If it seems to you as The only known risk factor is genetic. About 1% of the population has rheumatoid arthritis. In some tribes, for example, the Chippewa, rheumatoid arthritis occurs in over 5% of the population. For more information on rheumatoid arthritis, click here.
| ||||
