August 27, 2024 – Osteoarthritis is a pain – within the truest sense of the word. In many cases, it might cause difficulty walking or getting up from a sitting position and affect your sleep and each day activities, especially if the knees are affected.
Research project that by 2050 Knee osteoarthritis Cases will increase by almost 75% worldwide. Although there is no such thing as a cure, there are things people can do to get moving again, often without pain and discomfort. The key’s to detect it as early as possible.
“I tell patients that once it starts, we can’t stop it or reverse it; There’s nothing we can do to add more cushion to the knee,” said David A. Wang, MD, primary sports medicine physician on the Hospital For Special Surgery in Paramus, New Jersey, and a resident on the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “The best thing we can do is try to slow its progression over time.”
Changing risk demographics
One of crucial risk aspects for knee osteoarthritis is age; The disease often affects adults from 45 years when cartilage – the tissue that protects your bones – wears down. But the role that age plays might be changing.
“While age is an important factor, there is a trend of the outbreak shifting to younger individuals,” he said Alison H. Chang, physical therapist and professor within the Department of Physical Therapy and Exercise Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
“The vast majority of knee OA patients are older, but we see it in people in their 40s, even 30s,” Wang said. “I think the main reason is a previous injury; We are experiencing much more of an epidemic from ACL [anterior cruciate ligament]which is a clear risk factor for arthritis.”
Other aspects that may result in knee osteoarthritis include previous surgery, increased weight, and joint problems reminiscent of: B. Bow legs, said Chang.
Move it or lose it
Researchers have long studied the role of physical and stressful activities in the event and worsening of knee osteoarthritis. Recently, Chang did a study to search out out whether certain activities reminiscent of jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis, aerobic dancing and skiing, or prolonged sitting habits over a period of 8 years would result in signs of knee osteoarthritis in adults.
It wasn't only a strenuous activity not However, the outcomes suggest that strenuous activity in small and moderate amounts (e.g. 1-2 hours per week) may very well protect against this.
Although sitting for long periods of time and lack of physical activity don’t appear to significantly increase the danger of knee osteoarthritis, those that sit for long periods of time also are inclined to produce other risk aspects, including high body mass index (BMI), older age, more severe knee problems, and weak knee problems Quadriceps muscles.
But for people who find themselves in danger or have already been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, a balance between sitting and physical activity is significant.
“I worry about people at both extremes: those who are very sedentary and those who are very active. Sometimes very active people have the attitude that they have to get their way no matter what,” Chang said.
Wang agreed, explaining that as someone who grew up playing sports, he has long followed the saying “no pain, no gain.”
“As a sports medicine professional, I know this is the worst thing you can do; “I tell patients that pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong,” he said. “There’s a cliché doctor joke that I share: If it hurts, don’t do it.”
The knee bone is connected to the femur…
Everything within the body is connected: joints, muscles and ligaments work together to perform movements.
“If one thing on the chain is wrong, something else will be more stressed,” Wang said. “If you have weak or stiff ankles, that will put more stress on your legs, your knees, your quadriceps and your glutes – which especially play an important role in stabilizing the hips and lower extremities,” he said.
Chang said maintaining muscle strength helps keep joints stable and absorbs shock when jumping or running.
No matter where you might be in your knee osteoarthritis journey, it's vital to first seek advice from your doctor to search out out what activities you must and shouldn't be doing. A Physiotherapist examines the whole lower limb chain to discover potential problems and likewise puts together a program that features not only structured exercises (e.g. cycling or strength training) but in addition less strenuous physical activities reminiscent of walking or home tasks.
And “a PT can be helpful in understanding and processing pain and ensuring patients understand that pain does not always equate to injury or tissue damage,” Chang said.
Gary Campbell, a licensed senior fitness trainer, recognizes personal bias and can’t recommend hiring a private trainer enough.
“I can pick up on things immediately and offer an alternative course of action to compensate for any injury or pain,” he said. “I have the best job in the world; Every day clients tell me they stopped taking medication or completed a half marathon.”
“It’s never too late,” Wang said. “You won’t become a bodybuilder at 80 or 90, but you can still try to improve your strength and function at any age.”
Overcome fear
The Arthritis Foundation highlights the vital connection between Pain and the brain. When pain occurs, the nervous system sends signals to the brain, which in turn determines the extent of danger to the body and might then increase the pain quotient. Many people are inclined to avoid pain in any respect costs, which results in fear of movement.
“I think people over 50 who have injuries or some other debilitating condition are less likely to go to the gym; “There's a fear that if you ask them to do something with their knees, they have to get over it,” said Campbell, founder of the AgeFit 50+ community on Facebook. “The challenge is that they tend to favor one leg over the other.” [and as the other leg gets worse]”They start to gain weight because they're doing less exercise, and that puts even more strain on the knees,” he said.
Campbell, from Quebec, said he tells his clients that as they age, their tendons, ligaments and muscles develop into less efficient, lose strength and “rattle.”
“We want to strengthen the muscles around the knee so they tighten and support the joint,” he said. “When there is pain, I ask clients to go to the pain, not into the pain, and over time they learn where their stopping points are before the pain strikes.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to a physical therapist Alison H. Chang as Alice H. Chang.