Assess Your Joint Health
According to the Arthritis Foundation, 46 million Americans are living with arthritis. Could you be the face of arthritis? Assess Your Joint Health and find out today. Take this short quiz to find out if you are at risk for developing arthritis or are exhibiting the signs of arthritis.
WHAT'S YOUR RISK?
- Are you 45 years of age or older?
- Have you ever had an injury to your knee severe enough to put you in bed; to force you to use a cane, crutch or brace; or to require surgery?
- Are you more than 10 pounds overweight?
- Have you in the past, or do you currently, participate in greater than 3 hours per day of heavy physical activities, such as bending, lifting, or carrying items on a regular basis?
- Did you have hip problems that caused you to limp as a child?
WHAT'S YOUR SCORE?
If you answered yes to any of questions 1-5, you are at risk for arthritis.
The following seven questions are designed to determine if you are exhibiting the signs of arthritis. Answer them as best as you can.
WHAT ARE YOUR SYMPTOMS?
- Has a doctor ever told you that you have arthritis?
- During the past 12 months, have you had pain, aching, stiffness or swelling in or around a joint?
- In a typical month, were these symptoms present daily for at least half of the days in that month?
- Do you have a pain in your knee or hip when climbing stairs or walking 2-3 blocks (1/4 mile) on flat ground?
- Do you have daily pain or stiffness in your hand joints?
- Are you now limited in any way in any activities of joint symptoms (pain, aching, stiffness, loss of motion)?
WHAT'S YOUR SCORE?
If you answered yes to two or more of questions 6-11, you might have symptoms
of arthritis.
For question 12, please answer a through d and add your answers to determine your score.
- Because of joint symptoms, rate your ability to do the following:
0- Without ANY Difficulty
1- With SOME Difficulty
2- With MUCH Difficulty
3- UNABLE To Do
a. Dressing yourself, including shoelaces and buttons? 0 1 2 3
b. Stand up from an armless, straight char? 0 1 2 3
c. Get in and out of a car? 0 1 2 3
d. Open a car door? 0 1 2 3
WHAT'S YOUR SCORE?
If you scored a 6 or more on question 12, please contact your healthcare
professional immediately.
Exercise and Arthritis
Exercise is an essential tool in managing your arthritis. Regular, moderate
exercise offers many benefits to people with arthritis.
Mainly, exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness, builds strong muscle around the joints, and increases flexibility and endurance. But it also helps promote overall health and fitness by giving you more energy, helping you sleep better, controlling your weight, decreasing depression, and giving you more self-esteem. Furthermore, exercise can help stave off other health problems such as osteoporosis and heart disease.
To learn more about exercise and arthritis please visit the Arthritis Foundation website.
Source: Arthritis Foundation
AARP Resources
- Stay Healthy- Practice Prevention What is preventive care, and what kind of preventive care do people age 50 and older need to discuss with their doctors?
- Staying
Active with Health Challenges
With a doctor's okay, people with health challenges can still be physically active. Activity may relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Additional Resources
- Arthritis Foundation
Find information and news about arthritis prevention, control and research.
