Taking care of joints during Arthritis Awareness Month

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- May, serving as Arthritis Awareness Month, provides everyone with a reminder to check on the health status of their body’s joints.

Everyone is encouraged to check themselves for inflamed joints and lack of mobility that may require a visit to a doctor’s office.

“If you start developing arthritis, I always tell people, 'motion is lotion'. The more you keep it moving, the better off you are. Maybe you can’t run, but you can walk, or walk on a treadmill, or you can bike, or go to the aquatic center,” said Dr. Mark Klaassen, Orthopedic Surgeon and Professor at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University.

Fortunately, the advancements of technology have allowed full joint replacements to become same-day outpatient surgeries rather than taking weeks in the hospital to complete.

Arthritis can be prevented by keeping muscles in shape, losing weight, and having a good diet.