Arthritis Risk Factors

Contributing to All Types of Joint & Muscle Discomforts

Being Overweight
Excess weight puts stress on the joints, particularly the hips and knees.

Repetative Tasks
Repeated joint overuse leading to cartilage damage.

Physical Inactivity
This can be as harmful to the joints as overuse. A lack of exercise or varied movement can weaken the muscles that support the joints and decrease joint flexibility. Eventually, underused joints may become stiff, painful, dysfunctional, and prone to injury and osteoarthritis.

Injury
Injury to the knee or hip increases your risk for developing osteoarthritis in these joints.
Scar tissue and muscle spasm lead to blocked blood (nutrient) flow to the joints and lymphatic drainage (waste) away from the joint tissues. Lack of nutrient flow and waste drainage negatively affect healing and lead to an accumulation of damaging waste compounds within the joint capsule.

Being Female
In general, arthritis occurs more frequently in women than men (although in the under-45 age group, the condition affects more men than women).

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