How do I keep my joints supple and prevent osteoarthritis?
Exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are the best-supported ways to prevent osteoarthritis and manage symptoms; however, no treatment stops the disease once it has begun.
Excess weight is the most modifiable risk factor. Every extra kilogram increases the load on the knees and hips, and fat tissue also causes low-grade inflammation that damages cartilage. Losing weight therefore reduces both the mechanical pressure and the inflammatory burden on the joints.
Exercise is not a risk to your joints, even at higher intensities. Multiple studies confirm that knee osteoarthritis does not increase as a result of sport or strength training. On the contrary: a combination of endurance training, strength and aerobic exercises has been shown to be safe in people with existing knee osteoarthritis and reduces symptoms. This applies both to land-based and water-based exercise. Inactivity does the opposite: it increases the risk of osteoarthritis through muscle weakness and weight gain.
Age is also a factor, but it is not an unavoidable fate. Osteoarthritis mainly affects people over sixty, but a previous joint injury such as a torn knee ligament or a fracture within a joint can also cause osteoarthritis at a younger age. Protecting joints from this type of injury is therefore worthwhile, especially for people who exercise frequently.
If you already have symptoms, exercise and weight management are also the best-supported treatments. High-quality guidelines unanimously recommend them as the first step. Anti-inflammatory painkillers (such as ibuprofen or naproxen) are effective for pain relief in osteoarthritis, but are not suitable for everyone due to risks to the stomach, heart and kidneys; discuss this with your doctor. Corticosteroid injections into the knee can provide short-term relief. Hyaluronic acid injections are not recommended for hip osteoarthritis; for the knee, the benefit is unclear. PRP and stem cell injections are still being investigated, but are not yet a proven standard treatment.
Important to know: no treatment has so far been proven to actually stop or significantly slow the progression of osteoarthritis. What you can do is address risk factors and manage symptoms.
Based on reviews and a systematic review (PMID 37394226, 35506320, 29736569, 26904959, 23798298, 37321293, 25748615, 1739042). No meta-analyses available as a source.
What helps with osteoarthritis (joint wear)?
Exercise, losing weight where applicable in the case of excess weight, and an anti-inflammatory gel on the knee have the strongest supporting evidence; always discuss oral pain medication with your doctor because of the side effects.
Does collagen help your joints and your skin?
For joint pain, particularly in knee osteoarthritis and active athletes, oral collagen (approximately 10 grams per day) has a reasonably well-supported positive effect. For the skin there are indications, but these are less robust and partly come from commercially involved researchers.
How do I keep my kidneys healthy as I age?
The two best-supported steps to limit kidney damage as you age are keeping your blood pressure under control and exercising regularly. Moderate salt intake and a healthy weight demonstrably contribute to both.
How do I keep my eyes healthy and prevent cataracts or macular degeneration?
Protect your eyes with UV-filtering glasses, a diet rich in vegetables and fruit, good diabetes management and regular eye check-ups. If cataracts have advanced significantly, surgery is the only proven solution.
What really keeps your mouth and gums healthy?
Daily brushing supplemented with interdental brushes is the best foundation for a healthy mouth; if you have diabetes, regular gum care pays extra dividends for your blood sugar.
What actually helps with chronic low back pain?
Strength and stabilisation exercises have the strongest evidence base for chronic low back pain; if the effect is insufficient, anti-inflammatory drugs are the first pharmacological step, but opioids and surgery can almost always be avoided.