Expert shares the steps you can take to reduce risk of arthritis

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - According to Dr. Karim A. Elsharkawy, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Director of Joint Replacement Services at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, while there is no cure for arthritis taking steps like leading an active lifestyle can help reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Dr. Elsharkawy said that viewing arthritis as an age related disease is a misconception, genetics and family history or even blood pressure or cholesterol issues are more likely to lead to the development of Arthritis.

"I have patients coming in saying my mom had a knee replacement, my dad had a hip replacement, somebody in the family had history of a joint problem or arthritis. That is the most common cause," Dr.Elsharkawy said. "We see this more commonly in younger, more active patients, especially if they sustained injuries growing up like cruciate ligament injuries or an injury to the knee or hip that involved cartilage."

Dr. Elsharkawy says exercise can help reduce people's risk in addition to maintaining a healthy weight to put less stress on the joints, but he advised to do any physical activities with the proper equipment.

Also, when it comes to exercise, Dr. Elsharkawy recommended stretching before and after, wearing proper form fitting shoes, and gradually escalating intensity to prevent injury.

In addition to these recommendations, Dr. Elsharkawy said even though some soreness is normal after exercise people should not hesitate to ask for medical help if the pain lingers without getting any better.

He said there is no cure for Arthritis, there is also no treatment to prevent it but early detection is ideal so the consultation and tests can be 'quick and easy.'