The bone and joint experts at Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville want to remind you to that exercise isn’t just for losing weight or toning muscles. It’s an important element in maintaining bone and joint health.

At any age in your life exercise will help build strong, healthy bones and flexible, pain-free joints.

Thirty minutes of exercise each day can lead to many benefits: exercise helps keep the joints flexible, the muscles around the joints strong, bone and cartilage tissue strong and healthy and reduces pain.

Two kinds of exercise are recommended for bone and joint health: weight-bearing exercises and resistance exercise. Weight-bearing activities are those in which you work your bones and muscles against gravity. Walking, stair climbing, dancing, running and racket sports are all weight-bearing activities with differing degrees of impact. Resistance exercise includes working out with free weights or weight machines.

In general, the higher the impact, the more the activity strengthens bones.

The bone and joint experts at Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville remind you to be careful if you’re in the process of moving as the physical intensity of moving can be extreme.

Packing boxes, moving heavy furniture, emptying overhead cabinets – all come with some risk for injury, especially to your back. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for Americans visiting their doctors. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 21.9 million people visited their physician for back pain in 2007 and 4.8 million went to the emergency room for such back ailments.

To avoid heavy-lifting injuries, keep the following tips in mind:
• It is important to separate your feet, shoulder-width apart and bend at the knees while tightening the stomach muscles.
• Try and get help. Ask a friend to help or leave the job to the professionals who are trained to lift properly.
• Do not move a very large or awkwardly shaped item yourself, even if you think it is light enough. You could limit your visual scope or strain your neck or back trying to balance it.
• Use several smaller boxes for heavier items and don’t stack boxes above shoulder level when carrying.
• When moving boxes or any object, remove all obstacles – especially smaller throw rugs – from the walkways and stairways and keep the floor and stairs dry to avoid slipping.

Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville bone and joint experts wish you a successful move!

OAZ’s Dr. William Allen addressed arthritis and joint replacement at the Genesis “Silver Sneakers” Exercise program on June 21, 2010. His presentation was titled, ““Learn How To Beat Joint Pain.”

As a bone and joint expert, Dr. Allen reminds to prevent arthritis by:
• Protecting your knees
• Diversifying your workout
• Finding the right athletic shoes

For those who already suffer from arthritis, a study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shows total knee replacement can successfully relieve pain and improve function in patients with advanced knee arthritis.

At Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville, a bone density test is an easy way to diagnose osteoporosis or check to see if you are at risk of osteoporosis.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends bone density testing if:

• You’re a woman age 65 or older
• You’re a postmenopausal woman under age 65 with one or more risk factors for osteoporosis
• You’re a man age 70 or older
• You’re a man between age 50 and 70 with one or more risk factors for osteoporosis
• You’re older than age 50 and you’ve experienced a broken bone
• You’re a postmenopausal woman and you’ve stopped taking estrogen therapy or hormone therapy

Statistics show that thousands of people injure themselves during their annual spring clean, whether it is using a step ladder, a lawn mower or moving furniture. Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville wants southeast Ohioans to prevent bone and joint injuries from spring-cleaning.

Check out these great tips from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) to take the proper safety precautions to reduce the number of spring cleaning-related accidents:

• Proper techniques for lifting, carrying and bending should be part of any spring cleaning project:
  • Separate your feet, shoulder-width apart and keep your back upright and bend at the knees while tightening the stomach muscles.
  • Lift with your leg muscles as you stand up; don’t try to lift any object by yourself if it is too heavy or an awkward shape.
• When gardening, avoid prolonged repetitive motions during activities such as digging, planting, trimming and pruning and take frequent breaks.
• Use a step stool instead of a counter or furniture – such as a chair or the couch – when dusting hard to reach areas.
• Ladders used for chores – such as washing windows, painting, cleaning gutters and trimming trees – should be placed on a firm, level surface. Never place a ladder on ground or flooring that is uneven, soft or wet.
• When working on a ladder, over-reaching or leaning too far to one side can make you lose your balance and fall. Your bellybutton should not go beyond the sides of the ladder.
• Read product labels for proper use and wear protective clothing and gloves when using chemicals for gardening or cleaning. Store all chemicals – at the appropriate temperature, which is usually indicated on the package – in a place that is out of reach of both children and pets.
• Take frequent breaks and replenish fluids to prevent dehydration. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath or other signs of a heart attack, seek emergency care, such as calling 9-1-1.

If you have your own spring-cleaning tips, please post them here, and if you have questions about preventing bone and joint injuries and live in southeast Ohio, contact OAZ today!