Maintaining healthy joints is crucial to your overall health. Every movement you make relies on your joints, and other body functions rely on your ability to move. Over time, high-impact activity and normal wear-and-tear can play a major role in the deterioration of your joints.

"Inflammation is the body's natural way of fighting infection," says Dr. Ira K. Evans III, joint replacement surgeon at Sports Medicine North. "But when it becomes excessive, it can lead to joint pain."

Inflammation can contribute to other illnesses as well, including heart disease, cancer, and bowel disease.

However, Dr. Evans says that it is possible to maintain healthy joints. Keeping your weight within a healthy range helps to reduce the stress placed on your joints. Losing weight reduces the pressure on your knees, hips, and back, and helps prevent your chance of injury.

Lifestyle changes, such as adopting healthy eating habits, can have a large impact on your joint health as well. Reducing your consumption of carbohydrates, like sugar, helps to naturally reduce your inflammation levels. Adopting an aerobic exercise program can also reduce swelling and inflammation within your joints. Low-impact exercises, such as swimming, biking, and walking, can be particularly beneficial to your joint health and overall health. The less you move, the stiffer your joints become. Taking short breaks throughout the day to walk, stretch, or stand can make a big difference for your joints.

If you have questions about maintaining healthy joints or if you're experiencing joint pain, call (978) 309-3066 to schedule an appointment with one of the joint replacement doctors at Sports Medicine North.

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