It isn’t thought about much, but slips, falls and car accident trauma such as whiplash or low back strain earlier in life often lead to premature arthritic conditions in middle age. Many of my patients who have had previous trauma find that they have onset of pain, stiffness and swelling after only minor to moderate activity. This is most likely due to deposition of scar tissue, which is not quite identical to the original injured tissue that is created in joints and other connective tissue regions of the body. With time, these “healed injuries” made up of scar tissue regions, contract and age, and often due to poor blood supply and circulation, are not maintained well by the body. Even minor to moderate stress on these tissues, by lifting, repetitious activity, poor body posture or mechanics or exercise for example, may cause reinjury and accelerated changes to the connective tissue made up of cartilage, collagen and elastin fibers. Thus, it is the incomplete repair or healing of previous trauma to connective tissue that will eventually set the stage for premature arthritic changes to joints. It is reported that approximately 47 million adults in the USA have been diagnosed with arthritic conditions by healthcare professionals, with a little over a quarter of these patients saying that it impairs their life significantly enough to seek treatment. A projection by the CDC for 2030 indicates an increase to over 67 million affected Americans. With such a magnitude of people facing premature arthritis, it is truly important to make lifestyle and dietary changes to enable the best chances for connective tissue health, including proper weight management. As the country truly becomes more obese by definition, so will we see a proportionate increase in the incidence of "premature arthritis".
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--Dr. Sparta
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