Protecting Your Joints: The Link Between Diabetes and Orthopedic Health
November marks National Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to bring awareness to a condition that affects nearly 40 million Americans. While diabetes can have significant health consequences, education and understanding can help you manage and treat this common condition. Whether you, a family member, or a friend are affected by diabetes, you are not alone—and Orthopedic ONE is here to support you.
Diabetes is linked with a number of orthopedic conditions, so if you’ve received a diabetes diagnosis, it’s crucial to understand how this may affect your orthopedic health. After all, awareness is the first step toward improved health, orthopedic and otherwise.
Common Connections: Diabetes and Your Orthopedic Health
When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, it means that their body can’t produce and process enough insulin to control their blood sugar. This can cause other complications, including orthopedic issues like bone and joint problems. Knowing your risks will help you address orthopedic concerns before they arise, managing both your diabetes and your overall health.
Some orthopedic conditions associated with diabetes include:
- Osteoporosis: Those with type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more susceptible to fractures. Exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and taking calcium and vitamin D supplements can help manage osteoporosis and improve bone strength.
- Osteoarthritis: Type 2 diabetes is associated with osteoarthritis, characterized by a thinning of joint cartilage. Osteoarthritis is often a consequence of obesity—which is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes—rather than diabetes itself. Maintaining a healthy weight, treating and resting the affected joints, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking pain medications can help reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
- Frozen shoulder: Frozen shoulder leads to stiffness and pain around the shoulder joint, reducing mobility and decreasing flexibility in one or both shoulders. Early treatment with physical therapy can help improve shoulder movement and minimize symptoms.
- Stiffness: Patients with diabetes may also experience stiffness, particularly in the small joints of their hands, feet, and ankles. Stiffness is more common in those who have had diabetes for a longer period, but managing blood sugar levels and attending physical therapy can slow the progress of stiffening joints.
- Trigger finger: Trigger finger is another common condition that those with diabetes may develop. Trigger finger involves soreness, stiffness, or achiness at the base of your fingers, which can cause discomfort. Physical therapy, steroid injections, and splints to help straighten the fingers can help ease symptoms of trigger finger.
Navigating Orthopedic Surgery with Diabetes
Patients with diabetes are at a higher risk of complications during and after orthopedic surgery due to the disease’s effects on the body’s healing processes. Elevated blood glucose levels can impair blood flow and reduce the body’s ability to fight infection, increasing the likelihood of post-surgical infections. Additionally, diabetes can lead to a condition known as neuropathy, where nerve damage results in decreased sensations in the extremities. This can delay the detection of injuries or infections, allowing them to worsen before you can seek treatment.
Poor blood glucose control can also negatively impact bone healing. Research has shown that diabetic patients may experience slower bone regeneration and a higher likelihood of nonunion, where the bone fails to heal properly after a fracture. Because of these risks, patients with diabetes must work closely with their orthopedic surgeon and healthcare team to manage blood sugar levels before and after surgery. Careful preoperative planning, strict glucose control, and vigilant postoperative care are essential to improving outcomes and reducing the risk of complications.
Lifestyle Tips to Lower A1C Levels
While diabetes cannot be cured, there are several ways to control your blood sugar levels, lower your A1C, and help reduce your risk of orthopedic complications.
- Keep an eye on portion size: When you eat more than what your body needs, your blood sugar will go up. Knowing what a healthy portion size looks like for different foods can help keep you from overeating and experiencing higher blood sugar levels. This is especially true for high-carb foods that affect your blood sugar more than other nutrients.
- Adjust your plate: As you serve up your meals, try filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as greens, and eat those first to avoid blood sugar spikes. Dedicate a quarter of your plate to lean protein like chicken breast and use the final quarter for whole grains like brown rice. This will ensure a satisfying meal that also keeps your blood sugar from going up.
- Make a meal plan: Planning meals can help you avoid highly caloric, carbohydrate-dense foods, which are guaranteed to cause a spike in your blood sugar. Following a meal plan will keep you on track, making it easier to avoid choices that can come with negative consequences. Try writing a rough list of meals at the beginning of every week, along with the groceries you’ll need for each one.
- Track carbs: While you don’t need to cut carbohydrates from your diet entirely, it’s important to track the ones you do eat. An abundance of starchy carbs leads to increased A1C numbers, so managing your carbohydrate intake will help you avoid a spike.
- Establish an exercise routine: Exercise is a great habit to help lower your A1C. Performing strength training and aerobic exercises throughout the week will increase your mobility, flexibility, and balance, while lowering your A1C levels over time. As with your meals, try planning your week of exercises ahead of time so that it’s easier to fit sessions into your daily schedule.
- Take medication: If you’ve been prescribed medication to manage your diabetes, be sure to take it exactly as prescribed. When you miss doses or fail to follow your doctor’s instructions, your blood sugar levels may increase, which also means higher A1C levels.
- Stay consistent: You won’t lower your A1C levels in a day—or even in a month! This process will take time and dedication, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. It’s the work you do long-term that will have long-term effects, and consistency is always more important than perfection when it comes to your health.
As we observe National Diabetes Awareness Month, it’s essential to recognize the impact that diabetes can have on orthopedic health. Understanding the risks and taking proactive steps in managing your condition can significantly improve your outcomes, whether you’re dealing with joint pain, preparing for surgery, or simply aiming to be more active.
By staying informed and working closely with your healthcare team, you can better protect your bones and joints, ensuring a healthier future despite the challenges of diabetes.
Sources:
National Diabetes Statistics Report (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Bone and Joint Problems Associated with Diabetes (Mayo Clinic)
Diabetes and Your Joints (American Diabetes Association)
Managing Trigger Finger with Diabetes (Healthline)
Diabetes and Its Negative Impact on Outcomes in Orthopedic Surgery (World Journal of Orthopedics)