Osteoarthritis- Risk Factors

The Arthritis Society reports 1 in 5 Canadians over the age of 15 to have arthritis and about 60% of those to be women. Furthermore, nearly 1 in 2 seniors over 65 are living with OA.

Considering its high prevalence, let's talk about some of the factors that increase our risk of developing OA.

There are many factors that may impact our risk for OA. Some of these factors are controllable, others are not.

Factors such as inactivity, being overweight, muscle weakness and repetitive use of joints (overuse) are some factors that we can control.

Others such as family history, being female and aging are out of our control. These factors increase our risk for getting OA, however it does not mean we are guaranteed to develop it.

Don't fret though- there are things we can do to help! Stay tuned for next week's post on how we can decrease our risk of getting OA and manage the symptoms we have.

#physiotherapy #homecare #seniorsunday #rehabilitation #novascotia #arthritis