So my sister has just been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. She hardly eats anything which i know is not helping her, i try to encourage her to eat more (anything really but healthy is better) - to put it in perspective she is 156cm tall and weighs about 85lbs id say. her waist is so small i can get my hands round it.
Also my mum who is 58 has arthritis and has had both hips replaced, my dad has rheumatoid arthritis.

I have started noticing aching in my joints and im wondering if anyone has any experience of early OA and if anyone knows of anything that can help stave it off for as long as possible. i dont want to have to wear shoe inserts and have my hips replaced or have my fingers all gnarly if i can do anything to avoid it.

Is there anything i should avoid at all costs?? i know a healthy diet is good for helping it but are some foods better than others?
Any help gratefully received.

anyone?

Hi Rechyl, I have RA, and I know that when I eat starchy foods and sweets, I can feel it in my joints. Also I recently gave up diet soda after 30-some years of drinking it and I think that has helped too. I found this slideshow "The 12 Best Foods for Arthritis" at the Arthritis Foundation. http://www.arthritis.org/living-with...-arthritis.php. I hope it helps! I wish you the best!

thank you so much. luckily i like most of those foods and im already eating them.
I turn 30 3 weeks tomorrow and im now terrified i face a life of pain like my parents and now my sister who is only 31 (32 in Sept).

Don't live in fear. Just live! You're so young and there is so much to enjoy! Just because something runs in your family doesn't mean you'll get it. My Mom and 4 out of the 6 kids in my family have diabetes (type 1 and 2), but I don't have it. Every male in my husband's family has hereditary heart disease but his heart is as healthy as can be. Your worry may cause you more problems than any actual disease, and how will it solve anything? So just continue to eat well, exercise moderately, and enjoy life!

I have it and in addition to watching what I eat as the above poster mentioned, exercise is imperative. I do yoga for arthritis and water aerobics. Sure it hurts some days, but I still do it and find I feel and move better.

Susan I'm living with it too and when I am active, (Not running) walking, gardening, strength building in moderation, I've strengthened the muscles around joints and that helps.

My hands? Mom's were knarley before I was born but it never stopped her from needlework and sewing her clothes and mine.

Now I have some arthritic joints in hand but still type, garden, and hemmed my pants today.

I do take Fish Oil (without mercury), Glocosamine HCl and Chondritun with Vit D3. The two weeks I ran out of Glocosamine/Chondriun I began to ache. I went back on it and stay on it. I take nothing for pain because I have none. Dr. says I'm fortunate that it works for me because some of his patients find it doesn't help.

Rechyl I'm more than twice your age. Suggest that you continue eating healthy and be active and STOP WORRYING!!! The stress from worry will cause more problems than anything other than fast food eating.

Jacqui_D Funny you mention the starchy food making a difference. I've also noticed that. Also avoid boxed foods and use fresh foods that we cook or eat raw.

thank you. i cant help[ but worry. ive had aching knees and hips for about 2 years now and it flares up every now and then but isnt constant. If it was, i wouldnt cope.

Hi there!

I've lived with OA for many years as a result of sports injuries in my youth and being overweight. In fact, I just had my left knee replaced 6 months ago because it was so severe (that was the knee in which I had the most injuries) and I was only 43 years old. So...I sympathize.

My OA was mainly concentrated on my knees, but I was developing pain in my hips, ankles and feet - that developed because of being overweight for so long and because I limped a lot (b/c of my knees) and it put unusual stress on other joints. I also had a bad back (emergency surgery in 2006 for that after I had a massively herniated disc that was causing mind-boggling pain and paralysis).

I tried a lot of things, but most helpful (since my OA was all concentrated on the lower half of my body) was losing weight. In addition to the weight being gone, I was also developing muscle tissue so I was just stronger, in general. Doesn't sound like weight is an issue for your sister, though.

I'd also highly recommend looking into an anti-inflammatory diet, as I believe this has also helped me. You can find loads of info online, or buy a couple of books on Amazon. It's a really sensible way to eat, and you'll find supplement advice, as well.

Finally, I'd also recommend regular exercise that includes some form of stretching. On my worst days, I still would walk my dogs and I found that it almost always made my knees feel better. I think people tend to avoid moving when they have flare-ups, but it actually helps to move.