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The abandoned joint How excessive sitting can lead to osteoarthritis

We pay attention to our diet and make every effort to exercise regularly - reassuring health. But what about the joints? The modern man is too "sedentary" and thus leaves his joints in the lurch.

Acting before it is too late and surgery is inevitable.
Photo: iStock // robertprzybysz

Man loves to sit, it is completely against his nature. The spine is not good for this purpose. When sitting, the pelvis is tilted backwards and the spine assumes an unnatural "C" shape. Perpetual sitting also runs the risk of the muscles in the back, abdomen, and knees regressing, thus less able to support vertebrae and joints. Back, knee and hip suffer so much under the permanent squat.

Sitting for osteoarthritis

The important cartilage layer between the joints is also affected. The cartilage serves as a buffer so that the bone ends do not rub against each other during movement. But for a healthy cartilage, two factors are crucial: exercise and the right nutrients. Because only when the joint is moved, the most important are also infiltrated into the cartilage. By sitting many, this is prevented. The possible consequence: The surface of the cartilage becomes rough and the joint no longer slides smoothly. Because the cartilage layer is wearing off more and more, the joint movement can no longer be cushioned. Joint problems up to arthritis can occur.

Stand up for your joints: Get up!

Even if you do sports regularly, this can not completely stop the consequences of many sitting. In order to support the joints in everyday life as well as possible, the sitting phases should occasionally be interrupted by getting up and running around. Even better: work the joints to love in between on a standing desk, if the opportunity exists. The way to the printer, not to call the stairs instead of the elevator or the colleagues, but to visit, are good ways to get started again and again.

Let's go

Logically, who sits a lot and thus moves little, runs the risk of overweight or even to develop obesity. Obesity increases the statistical burden, especially the knee and hip joints. Not infrequently, this leads to a malposition of the legs, which additionally damages the knee joints. Only in recent years have scientists also gained the insight that adipose tissue has an influence on the development of osteoarthritis. Fat cells are unspoken active cells that release a variety of messengers. This also includes substances that increase inflammation and cartilage degradation processes and thus lead to osteoarthritis or deterioration.

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