These are important aspects that accelerate the aging process and speed up degeneration in general, contributing to a poor quality of life with more suffering than necessary, especially in most forms of arthritis.

1)   Inflammation can be triggered by a number of things, what you eat and drink has a huge impact on your inflammatory responses, encouraging pain and destruction. It is very important to improve your diet in every way you can. This will have a huge impact on your condition.

2)   Free-radicals  – encourage degeneration. Take some anti-oxidants.

3)   Poor detoxification – organs need certain nutrients to produce specific enzymes that neutralize and remove toxins from the body.

4)   A negative outlook on life in general will impact on every cell in the body producing destructive chemicals that speed up degeneration. Of-course there are times when you will feel a little down that is natural but to always see the tank as half empty as opposed to half full is a problem. The tank may still measure half way up but they are two completely different ways of looking at the same thing.

5)   Poor posture puts a strain on joints. Muscles tighten, which in turn restricts blood flow and this reduces movement of oxygen and nutrients in the joints. Also reducing the amount of toxins that can be removed from the joints, encouraging more degeneration and/or inflammation. A practitioner of the Alexandra Technique can help you in this area, showing you the correct posture in everyday life – reading, sitting at the computer, standing, walking etc.

6)   Lack of activity, this does not mean you have to join a gym. It does mean you have to move around move, as the lack of activity does mean you could seize up. Just like the rusty gate.

7)   Poor bio-mechanics some people due to their build have extra wear and tear on – the hips, knees and/or ankles. For instance – due to knock-knees, or bow-legged or collapsed arches will change the total alignment of the legs which can cause ankle, knee or hip problems. See a foot/posture specialist, or as a osteopath or chiropractor. They can arrange for inserts to be made especially for your particular set of circumstances for your shoes that help re-align your legs removing some of the pressure. This could mean all the difference to you being more active.