Young adults and managing arthritis isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind. When you think of the common person who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) your mind is more likely to think of the elderly.
Although statistics provide the fact that people of a certain age tend to suffer from joint pain at a higher rate, nearly 8 in every 100,000 people aged 18 to 34 suffer through the same chronic pain. In fact, people who develop RA at a young age tend to have more severe symptoms.
Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints leading joint pain or joint disease.
In an article, Dr. Ian Scott, states that “Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, can develop at any age from 16 onwards.”
RA is the second most common type of joint pain found in young adults after osteoarthritis (OA). This specific disease affects nearly 32 million Americans.
Causes of Early Diagnosis
Most young adults who experience RA and OA have history with common factors such as a previous joint injury or joint stress and overuse.
Of these factors, the two most common found in young adults with RA are obesity and the over-exhaustion of joints due to athletic activities and careers. When athletes wear out their muscles and joints due to an excess amount of exercise they make themselves more susceptible to injury and the possible development of RA.
Being a Young Adult and Managing Arthritis
The first-line of defense when treating arthritis pain is to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Develop an exercise routine that allows you to move your joints but only for a set amount of time.
Changes in diet may also help reduce pain. It is common to seek information regarding how the food they eat responds to the rest of their body.
Another way to treat your arthritis pain is through meditation. Mediation allows you to focus in on and pain and release the negative thoughts and energy that promotes the joint-pain. You can find more info on meditation in our most recent blog post.
You can also try one of our MegRelief products to soothe your joint pain.
If these do not work for you, you can always elect to take medication. For information regarding medication it is important to discuss options with your primary doctor or a rheumatologist.
