Preventing Joint Destruction From High Blood Sugar

High blood sugar happens when your body is not able to effectively process sugars from the foods you eat. This can happen if your body cannot make insulin (type 1 diabetes). It can also happen if your body does not use insulin well or does not make enough insulin (type 2 diabetes).

When your body doesn’t use insulin properly, this is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance, with or without diabetes, can also cause high blood sugar. Your body might still make enough insulin, but your cells are not responding to it as well. This causes glucose to build up in your blood, causing high blood sugar. 

Overtime, this can lead to health conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and kidney disease. Another lesser-known effect of unmanaged high blood sugar from insulin resistance is how it affects your joints.

How Insulin Resistance Causes Joint Destruction

High blood sugar and high insulin levels can cause inflammation in the body. This can lead to inflammation in the joints.

Inflammation in the joints can create an unwarranted immune response. Your body attacks your joint tissues, which causes pain, swelling and increased joint fluid. High blood sugar can also cause destruction of the type of cell that forms cartilage.

“These effects disrupts the breaking down and building up process of cartilage, tendons and bones, eventually leading to permanent joint destruction,” shares Ryan Szepiela, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation provider with ProMedica Physicians.

How To Prevent Joint Destruction from Insulin Resistance

“The most important thing you can do to prevent joint destruction from insulin resistance is to lower your blood sugar,” Dr. Szepiela emphasizes. If you have high blood sugar or insulin resistance, work with a health care professional to manage it.

Dr. Szepiela also recommends keeping your blood sugar as stable as possible. Refined carbs such as white breads, rice or pasta, processed foods and foods high in sugar are not broken down easily in the body. This leads to more blood sugar spikes. Consider removing these foods from your diet. Instead, prioritize eating whole foods that are rich in protein and healthy fats, and lots of fruits and vegetables.

These foods can keep your blood sugar stable and help inflammation in your body decrease so that tissue repair can occur.

Dr. Szepiela stresses the need to see a doctor regularly. This helps you manage your blood sugar and other health issues. “Have your hemoglobin A1C tested regularly to monitor your average blood sugar levels over the past few months. Take your blood sugar regularly to make sure it stays in a healthy range to prevent further damage,” Dr. Szepiela shares.

Blood sugar monitors have improved drastically over the years. Many don’t require frequent pokes and can give you real time information on your blood sugar throughout the day. Pay attention to what foods cause your blood sugar to stay elevated for longer than normal. See in real time how pairing high carbohydrate foods with a protein source can make a difference.

Make an active lifestyle a priority. Find time to move, especially after eating. This helps lower your blood sugar faster. This can also help you lose weight and replace excess fat with muscle, resulting in better blood sugar regulation.

Treatments for Joint Destruction from High Blood Sugar

Unfortunately, even if you can get your blood sugar under control, there may be irreversible damage to your joints. Continue to prevent further damage by prioritizing a healthy diet, movement and active management. But if your joints still aren’t where they need to be, there are treatments that can help.

“Some patients have success with eating an anti-inflammatory diet,” Dr. Szepiela shares. This type of diet emphasizes foods like fish, vegetables and olive oil. Turmeric is a spice that is known for its anti-inflammatory processes. Taking magnesium as a supplement may offer anti-inflammatory benefits.

Metformin is a commonly prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes. It can also aid in preventing joint destruction from insulin resistance. This drug is an anti-inflammatory, helps protect your cartilage and can reduce pain and weight gain. 

More aggressive treatment options for joint problems include physical therapy, cortisone or gel injections, regenerative medicine or joint replacement.

Regardless of which treatment method is right for you, having your blood sugar under control before beginning treatments is essential. “Having normal blood sugar levels can make conservative treatments more effective. It also improves surgical outcomes by lowering your risk of infection and complications,” Dr. Szepiela shares.

What To Do If You’re at Risk for Joint Destruction

If you are at risk for joint damage due to high blood sugar, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes, you need preventive care. A family history of these conditions also increases your risk, so taking preventive measures is important.

Improve your diet, increase your physical activity, monitor your blood sugar and don’t skip your primary care appointments. 

“Prevention is critical,” Dr. Szepiela emphasizes. Make sure to get yearly blood tests with your primary care provider. This helps check your blood sugar and any health changes.

Ryan Szepiela, MD
Dr. Szepiela is a physical medicine and rehabilitation provider with ProMedica Physicians. View his profile.