Loss of cartilage, stiffness and general wear and tear can take a toll on joints in older age. It’s not unusual to see someone in their advanced years stooped over or walking more slowly. These changes often have to do with what happens to joints as you get older.
Common joint changes include:
- Stiffness and loss of flexibility
- Loss of cartilage in the hip and knee joints
- Finger joint changes, generally bony swellings called bone spurs (common in women)
- Brittle bones
- A decrease in joint fluid
- Wear and tear of cartilage
- Mineral deposit in and around the joints (calcification), common near the shoulder
The top reasons for stiff joints in seniors
You may have noticed that as you’re getting older, you’re suffering from stiff joints. Here are reasons why:
1. Age affect to Cartilage
Cartilage is a spongy material that protects the ends of your bones. Think of it as a shock absorber. As you age, the cartilage begins to dry out and stiffen.
Each of the joints in the human body contains synovial fluid. This thick fluid lubricates the joint and decreases friction around the cartilage. As you age, your body makes less synovial fluid.
With dry cartilage and less lubrication, it’s not surprising you feel stiff. Especially in the morning when you wake up or after you’ve been still for several hours. That’s because they synovial fluid can’t easily move around and do its job.
2. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common types of arthritis in older people. In most cases, OA is simply a result of the normal wear and tear over the years. Many people over the age of 50 are affected and women are affected more often than men.
What causes osteoarthritis?
It’s back to your joints and cartilage. Cartilage doesn’t just get stiff. It can wear away over time or after an injury. When it’s gone, the bones hit one another, and sometimes, tiny pieces break off. The result is a stiff, swollen, painful joint.
Usually, osteoarthritis develops in the weight-bearing joints of the knees, hips, or spine. It’s also common in the fingers. If you lose a lot of cartilage in your knee joints, you may find that your knees curve out. Sometimes, bony spurs along the spine develop. These can lead to pain, numbness, or tingling.
3. Rheumatoid arthritis
Your immune system is supposed to protect you from outside germs. But sometimes, the system goes wrong. Healthy joints are surrounded by a membrane or synovium. This protective tissue is only a few cells thick. Its job is to produce fluid that lubricates and nourishes the joint. Sometimes your immune system attacks the membrane (the synovium) that lines your joints. When the membrane is irritated or inflamed, it becomes thicker and swollen with excess synovial fluid. The inflamed synovium can eventually invade and destroy the cartilage and bone within the joint. This is what rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is about. RA is most likely to affect your wrist or finger joints, but it can show up anywhere in your body. It often causes constant pain and stiffness. Sometimes, it stays in the background and only flares up now and then.
How to keep joints healthy?
One way to maintain healthy, flexible joints is by stretching. Regular exercise is also an excellent way to prevent joint problems later in life. Remember, exercise doesn’t have to be difficult. Walking, swimming, bicycling, yoga, and even routine activities like gardening and cleaning, can have positive effects.
It’s also important to eat a well-balanced diet with enough calcium and to get plenty of vitamin D (women are especially susceptible to Vitamin D deficiencies). Men and postmenopausal women over 70 should get at least 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 international units of vitamin D per day.
Here are other measures you can take to strengthen bones and joints:
- Limit caffeine, as it can weaken bones
- Avoid smoking, because it increases inflammation throughout the body
- Keep your weight down (more weight will put greater pressure on your joints)
- Listen to what your body is telling you and see your doctor if you have any joint pain
- Always warm-up before exercise and cool down afterward
- Drink water instead of energy drinks and soda, if you don’t stay hydrated, your body can take water from the cartilage and other parts of your body, which can harm your joints.
