Difficulty bearing weight: When you stand, do you shift your weight to avoid putting extra pressure on your painful knee? There could be many reasons for this, but it is best to see an experienced knee doctor for an expert diagnosis.

Knee appears misshapen: Stand in front of a full-length mirror and look at your knees. If the knee that is bothering you looks misshapen or different from your other knee, you might have a dislocated knee cap, broken knee or patella injury.

Knee instability: When you put weight on your knee, does it feel wobbly as if could collapse? In many cases, this feeling of instability is a sign of ligament damage. Ligament problems may become worse if you continue using your knee as usual, so see a knee doctor if this is happening to you.

Limping: If your knee pain is bad enough that you need to limp — or if the pain is making you avoid walking altogether — you should see a knee doctor. Your pain could be due to “wear and tear,” bone injury or another condition.

Pain that affects daily life: Stop for a moment to assess your daily routine. Are you dodging certain activities as a way to avoid knee pain? If so, it may be a sign that it is time to see a knee doctor.

Pain that is not improving: If you have had worsening knee pain for several weeks, it is time to see a knee doctor.

Pain that keeps you up at night: Does your knee pain make it hard for you to fall or stay asleep? Sleep is critical to overall health, so if knee pain is impacting your sleep, make an appointment to see a knee doctor.

Swelling that limits range of motion: If your knee is swollen, it could be an injury. If the swelling has reduced your range of motion so much that it is difficult for you to straighten or bend your leg — and this has been happening for more than a day — you should see a doctor.

Finally, always keep in mind that if you notice a sudden change in your symptoms, you should see a doctor as soon as possible, especially if you are an athlete. And if you experience an extreme symptom such as a high fever, you could have a serious infection, so seek medical care immediately.

When colder weather sets in, try easing your extra joint-pain challenges with one of these natural remedies:

1. Wear lots of warm layers. Layering allows you to control your comfort level when temperatures change throughout the day. For example, you can wear two pairs of socks, then peel them off as needed. Or regularly layer long underwear under your regular clothing, then remove your top layers as needed.
2. Wear a hat. You probably heard that much of your body heat escapes through your head. A simple solution is to wear a knit hat — even when you’re indoors.
3. Wear warm footwear. Switch to insulated winter boots and store your regular shoes for the season. Also, wear warm slippers indoors, but make sure they aren’t so bulky that it is difficult for you to walk.
4. Cozy up with a heated bean bag. Many retailers sell bean bag “cozies” which can be warmed in a microwave oven, then used to keep you warm, just like a hot water bottle. Get one to have on hand, then heat and reheat throughout the day whenever you need a “warm up.”
5. Warm your bed before you tuck in for the night. Place a hot water bottle or heated bean bag under the covers a few minutes before you go to bed. Chances are, you’ll not only feel warmer throughout the night, you might even sleep better too.
6. Stay hydrated. When it’s hot outside, it’s normal to reach frequently for a glass of water to refresh yourself. But once it gets colder, you may start drinking less without even realizing it. Try to remember to stay well-hydrated because recent studies show even mild dehydration can make you more sensitive to pain.
7. Move your exercise indoors. When it gets cold outside, many people have a tendency to become less active. Plan ahead for the winter by establishing an exercise routine you can stick to indoors, such as using a treadmill or working out to an exercise video.
8. Consider a Vitamin D supplement. During winter, you’re less likely to get enough vitamin D from its natural source — sunlight. If this happens, you might be more sensitive to joint pain. Talk to your doctor about your need for supplements or vitamin D-fortified foods.

Finally, don’t forget there are other natural remedies to help manage joint pain you can — and should — use no matter what the temperature is outside. Two important ones are eating an anti-inflammatory diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

Here are some general tips you can follow to help reduce your risk of developing arthritis.

• Stay hydrated. Cartilage — the cushioning tissue in your joints — needs ample hydration in order to protect your joints adequately. Experts recommend drinking six to eight cups of water a day.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Each pound of extra weight loads several pounds of extra stress on your joints.
• Stop smoking. Smoking has been identified as a factor that causes poor immune responses in people who are genetically more likely to develop arthritis.
• Avoid high heels. High heels can cause inflammation and can put stress on the feet and knees. Instead wear high quality shoes with good support.
• Get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D is good for the bones and has been shown to lessen the progression of osteoarthritis.
• Get enough vitamin C. Studies show eating fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C may help prevent osteoarthritis.
• Eat fish. Fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and trout may help reduce inflammation and help prevent arthritis.

High Risk Groups

Some groups are at higher risk for developing arthritis due to the activities they perform. This includes people who work long hours as well as young athletes. Here are some arthritis prevention tips specific to these groups.

At Work:

• When sitting, use a chair that fully supports your lower and mid-back. If you are using a computer, ensure your elbows can be positioned at a 90-degree angle to the keyboard.
• When standing, make sure that your work area is not only set up to support the work you do, but also is adjusted to your body type and height. Try using footrests so you can shift your weight from one foot to another.

Young Athletes:

• If you play contact sports, always wear protective gear and use the proper equipment.
• Play safely to avoid anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in your knees. Torn ACLs can lead to osteoarthritis years or decades later.
• Listen to your body and use common sense. Don’t overdo it and never “play through” the pain.
• Build your quadriceps and hamstring muscles. This can protect your knees from injury and future arthritis.
• If a joint is painful due to play, apply ice to the area. This is usually the first step toward avoiding more serious injury and reducing the risk of future arthritis.

Finally, one of the simplest ways to prevent arthritis is through movement. So get up and move, twist and turn, stretch those arms and legs. One day, your bones and joints will thank you for it!

“Good” microbes protect your health, by helping the immune system identify and ward off dangerous pathogens and inflammation. However, if they are “bad” microbes, become disrupted or if some types are more or less abundant than the others, they can have a negative effect.

In fact, there is increasing evidence suggesting that disruptions in your microbiome can cause or contribute to many chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Scientists are also wondering whether it will one day be possible to treat arthritis and other diseases by adjusting the microbiome. Many believe that someday it will.

Start Improving Your Gut Health Today

While adjusting the microbiome in your gut to treat arthritis is still just an idea, the good news is, right now you can still take steps to improve your gut health—and reduce joint swelling, stiffness and your arthritis symptoms.

How? By carefully choosing the foods you eat. That’s because your diet has a direct impact on your gut health, the strength of your immune system and the severity of your arthritic symptoms.

There are several diets that have been shown in studies to improve gut health. They are:

• Mediterranean Diet: If you have RA you can benefit from a Mediterranean diet which has been scientifically proven to be anti-inflammatory. It includes high quality oils and fats, like olive oil and avocado oil, nuts and seeds, whole grains and plenty of vegetables and fruits. Red meat should be avoided, or eaten if it is lean, a few times a month. Instead, eat more fish—especially fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and tuna.
• Vegan Diet: Some small studies suggest a vegan diet can change the gut microbiome and improve arthritis symptoms. In a vegan diet, you do not eat any animal products—that includes meat but also eggs, dairy products and any other foods that include animal-derived ingredients.
• Vegan and Gluten-Free Diet: In another study, a small group of participants who had RA followed a gluten-free vegan diet for three months. They experienced reduced inflammation.

Finally, keep in mind that if you do decide to alter your diet significantly, you may need to take vitamin supplements, especially if you choose to go vegan. If you have questions or concerns, talk to your doctor to make sure you are getting all the vitamins and nutrients you need.

The fact that bones are living tissue is good news. That’s because it means you can take steps to improve your bone health — and one of the best ways to strengthen your bones is through exercise.

When you perform certain types of exercises, it causes your muscles and tendons to pull on your bones. This, in turn, stimulates the bone cells causing them to produce more
bone tissue.

Exercise can help prevent osteoporosis, a serious disease in which your bones become brittle, weak and may even break easily. Although post-menopausal women are at a higher risk for osteoporosis, anyone can develop it, so taking actions to avoid it is good for everyone.

Some of the best activities for preventing osteoporosis are weight-bearing exercises, resistance training and high-impact workouts.

While these workouts can all have a direct impact on preventing osteoporosis, workouts that focus on flexibility and balance are also good for your overall bone health. They can reduce your risk of falls and your chances of sustaining a fracture. For these reasons, make sure to include balance and flexibility exercises in your workout routine, too.

Note: When it comes to working out, always remember that moderation is key. It is possible to overexercise, and in fact cause damage to your bones and joints. If you’re not sure if an exercise is right for you, talk to your doctor. If you already have osteoporosis, do not perform high-impact workouts, and ask your doctor which workouts are safe for you.

It’s Never Too Late to Get Started

It makes good sense to combine your workouts with other healthy lifestyle choices that can help improve your bone health. Be sure to get plenty of calcium in your diet, avoid alcohol or drink in moderation, and do not use tobacco products.

Finally, remember it’s never too late to start building new healthy habits. Although it is ideal to have been practicing osteoporosis-prevention exercises throughout your life,
starting at any age can benefit you and help you maintain strong and healthy bones!

That said, no one has yet perfected a diet “cure” for arthritis. However, certain foods are known to help reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, and other symptoms, like joint stiffness.

By adding these choices—called “anti-inflammatory” foods—to your diet, and later, reducing foods that are considered “inflammatory” (more on that later) you might be pleasantly surprised to notice your joint pain and stiffness lessening.

Here are examples of foods with anti-inflammatory properties you can try adding to your diet to help improve the symptoms of your arthritis:

• Avocados
• Beets
• Berries
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Cherry Juice (tart, not sweet)
• Fatty Fish
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
• Green Leafy Vegetables
  • Box Choy
  • Collards
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Swiss chard
• Lentils
• Nuts
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
• Pineapple
• Seeds
  • Flax
  • Chia

How to Get Started

If your current diet includes few or none of the foods on this list, don’t worry—it’s better anyway to make small, gradual changes to your diet, since it will be easier for your body to adapt and you’re more likely to stick with your new, healthier routine. So, instead of completely emptying your pantry and starting from scratch, gradually build a diet that can help reduce your joint pain and stiffness one step at a time.

Once you’ve discovered new foods you like, you can start eliminating any inflammation-causing foods that are still in your diet without feeling deprived—just like you did with adding new foods, do it gradually. In general, these inflammatory foods include anything that is highly processed, with additives or artificially dyed, or with a high sugar content.

Here are some other tips to help support your efforts to build a healthier, anti-inflammatory diet:

• If you have arthritis in your hands, sometimes preparing foods can be difficult, such as cutting fresh vegetables or opening a can of tuna. If this is true for you, try using precut frozen fruits and vegetables instead, and look for tuna and salmon in sealed pouches.
• If your diet changes aren’t helping you as much as you’d like, consider eliminating wheat. It’s not necessary to go all in and join the gluten-free movement, but you may have a sensitivity to wheat that is causing inflammation in your body.
• When flavoring foods, try using turmeric and ginger—both are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
• When you’re starting out, buy a variety of fresh fruits and veggies in very small qualities and discover what you like best.

Finally, remember that while changing your diet can help bring about positive changes, when you combine an anti-inflammatory diet with other healthy lifestyle behaviors—such
as getting enough daily physical activity, sleep and following your doctor’s advice—the results will likely be even better.

So what happens to your bones when you lift weights? When the bone is stressed—which happens during strength training as the muscles pull on the bone—bone formation is stimulated.

This process of building and maintaining bone density is important for many reasons. For instance:

• Bone density can help prevent fractures
• Bone density can help prevent osteoporosis
• The denser your bones are, the more bone mass you can lose as you get older without suffering negative effects

Although both men and women reap rewards from strength training, women in particular can benefit from this preventative health strategy, as they have the highest rates of osteoporosis. After menopause, the risk increases, and if a woman is thin that risk goes even higher. The reason is estrogen—a hormone that’s one of the body’s most powerful bone builders—decreases after a woman stops menstruating.

Strength-Training Exercises

Here are several exercises that focus on increasing bone density in the hips and spine—areas that are most at risk of bone loss.

• Steps: Stand in front of the bottom step of a staircase, making sure the stair and floor are free from any loss objects. Then, hold on to the handrail and use a single leg to step up, lifting your full body weight up, hold it for a few seconds, then step down again. Perform this movement five to 10 times before switching to the other leg.
• Marches: Attach 5-pound weights with Velcro straps to each of your ankles. Then march in place, using your thigh muscles to lift your knees one at a time.
• Lunges: Standing with your hands on your hips, take an exaggerated step forward, so your thigh muscle supports your body weight, and hold that pose for several seconds before returning to a standing position. Alternate legs, and perform the series 5-10 times.

Need more reasons to give strength training a try? How about the fact that strength training has been shown to bring other health benefits, too, like improved sleep and a better mood. Plus, having strong bones as you move into old age can help keep you more independent, active and enjoying a greater quality of life.

So, remember, even though you can’t see the visible results and positive effects of strength training on your bones like you can on your muscles, it’s happening—and if you could see it, the results would be impressive. So, make the decision today to add strength training to your routine, and you’ll enjoy better health today, and into the future.