Millions of people live with debilitating knee and hip pain. While prescription pain medications can help ease the symptoms of degenerative joint conditions, they may lead to intolerable side effects. Specialists in treating hip pain in Jacksonville may recommend some of the following lifestyle changes to help improve your mobility, restore your gait, and decrease your pain.
Weight Management
One of the most important lifestyle changes you can make to help ease your knee and hip pain is to lose weight. Excessive weight stresses your weight-bearing joints, and over time, joint damage may occur. In addition to the added stress that excess weight puts on your knees and hips, being overweight promotes the release of certain chemicals that trigger systemic inflammation.
These chemicals are known as pro-inflammatory cytokines, and in addition to knee and hip pain, the release of cytokines into your bloodstream can cause headaches, muscle pain, and fatigue. If you are unable to lose weight on your own, talk to your physician who will recommend weight management interventions.
Quitting Smoking
Cigarette smoking not only causes lung damage and breathing problems, but it also damages capillaries and hinders circulation. Smoking can also cause your bones to lose calcium, and because of this, they may become brittle and painful. People who smoke cigarettes may be at risk of developing degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis, which often causes severe knee and hip pain. Physicians specializing in hip pain in Jacksonville can recommend effective smoking cessation options to help you beat your nicotine habit.
