Symptoms Of Knee Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis in the knee often introduces itself to you in four basic ways, says Dr. Orlandi. Those symptoms are:
- Pain, which can vary in intensity from dull to sharp. Itll often spike with more rigorous activity and ease with rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications.
- Stiffness in the joint, particularly after youve been sitting or lying down for longer periods.
- Loss of flexibility and range of motion.
- Swelling and a warm, burning sensation usually a sign of more advanced arthritis.
Move : Seated Hamstring Curl With Resistance Band
Tip
To get the most out of this exercise, keep your front heel firmly rooted in the ground, Garcia says. Pull the resistance band with control.
ââ¬â¹Additional reporting by Bojana Galic.ââ¬â¹
Study Appraisal And Synthesis Methods
Literature quality and risk of bias were assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and Cochrane Collaboration tool, respectively. Data were extracted by two independent assessors using a standardised form. The weighted mean difference and standard deviations with 95% confidence intervals were analysed.
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Different Types Of Exercise Training
In clinical, there are several exercise trainings options for the treatment of KOA, including aerobic exercise, strength training, neuromuscular exercise, balance training, proprioception training, aquatic exercise, and traditional exercise . Each kind of exercise training therapy has corresponding therapeutic mechanism and special therapeutic effect on KOA.
Figure 4. Different exercise training types of KOA. There are several exercise trainings options for treating KOA in the clinic, including aerobic exercise, strength training, neuromuscular exercise, balance training, proprioception training, aquatic exercise, and traditional exercise. Strength training includes isokinetic exercise, isometric exercise, and isotonic exercise. Traditional exercise includes Ba Duanjin, Tai Chi, Wuqinxi, and Yoga.
Aerobic Exercise and KOA
Aerobic exercise can promote the metabolism of adipose tissue, prevent muscle atrophy, accelerate the recovery of damaged cartilage, enhance the bodys immunity, and relieve pain. Different intensities of aerobic exercise have different therapeutic effects. Low-intensity aerobic exercise is better for patients with severe KOA, and high-intensity aerobic exercise is more suitable for patients with mild KOA. Furthermore, for mild KOA patients with chronic diseases, high-intensity interval training is better. Doctors should choose the most appropriate treatment for different patients.
Strength Training and KOA
Isokinetic Exercise and KOA
Ba Duanjin and KOA
Preparing For Knee Exercises
Health care providers advise a warm up before exercise and a cool down after exercise.
Warm up: Exercise should typically be preceded by a 10-minute warm-up activity. A warm-up increases blood flow and literally warms up the body, making muscles more flexible. A good warm-up is a walk or other slow-paced aerobic activity. For those with more severe arthritis, a warm compress and gentle range-of-motion activities might be sufficient.
Post workout: Immediately after a workout, the knees may feel swollen and achy, but steps can be taken to reduce swelling and relieve discomfort. Some people elevate the knees or ice the knees with a cold compress . Over-the counter NSAID medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, may be used occasionallyjust keep in mind that regular long-term use can lead to stomach problems, particularly in older adults.
If pain is felt during knee exercises, stop and seek advice from a healthcare professional or an appropriately qualified athletic trainer before continuing.
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Should You Avoid Certain Exercises With Oa
Nothing is off-limits until your body says so, advises Dr. Orlandi: Dont approach your fitness routine with the idea that you just cant do something, she says. Instead, look at moderation and modification.
So if youve been a runner for years, osteoarthritis doesnt mean you have to toss away your running shoes. Instead, consider scaling back mileage or intensity to ease strain on your knees. Try other activities, too, to work different muscles.
Just listen to your body and adjust accordingly, says Dr. Orlandi. And the most important thing? Dont use osteoarthritis as an excuse to stop exercising and working your knees and surrounding muscles.
If you have pain that lasts a few days after a workout, its certainly OK to back off a little. But dont take it as a message to stop.
Giving up and throwing your hands in the air isnt the answer for osteoarthritis, says Dr. Orlandi. Build exercise and movement into your lifestyle. Youll be better off for it.
Benefits And Mechanisms Of Exercise Training For Knee Osteoarthritis
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- 3School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- 4Department of Orthopedics, Jiangxi Provincial Peoples Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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What Causes Osteoarthritis In The Knee
Before looking at how to manage osteoarthritis in the knee, its a good idea to understand how that pain started in the first place with a little anatomy 101.
Rubbery and flexible connective tissue known as articular cartilage covers and sits between bones that meet in your knee. The slippery tissue cushions the joint, serving like a shock absorber as you walk, run, jump and otherwise move around the world.
That cartilage takes a beating, though, and small tears naturally develop as the malleable material grows more rigid over time. The articular cartilage in your knee eventually starts to flatten and stiffen like an old chair pad.
And when that cartilage stops absorbing the shock well, you notice.
Factors that lead to osteoarthritis in your knee include:
- Injury, which can lead to early deterioration.
- Excess weight that puts added strain on your knees. For every 3 lbs. of weight you have, you put 10 lbs. of pressure on your joints, notes Dr. Orlandi.
Complementary And Alternative Therapies
Some people with osteoarthritis try complementary or alternative therapies such as acupuncture and aromatherapy and find them helpful.
However, there’s a lack of medical evidence to suggest they’re effective and they generally are not recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence .
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What Are The New Findings
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High-quality evidence suggests that land-based therapeutic exercise provides benefit in terms of reduced knee pain and improved quality of life and moderate-quality evidence of improved physical function among people with knee osteoarthritis.
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It can be assured that any type of exercise programme that is performed regularly and is closely monitored can improve pain, physical function and quality of life related to knee OA in the short term.
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The magnitude of immediate treatment effects of exercise on pain and physical function increases with the number of face-to-face contact occasions with the healthcare professional.
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Mediating effects of exercise dosage and disease severity on the effectiveness of exercise could not be ascertained because of large variability in reported data.
Best Exercises For Osteoarthritis Of The Knees
Three good beginner exercises are the following:
If you have increased pain in the knees or you arent noticing improvements in 2 weeks with these exercises, request an appointment with one of our movement specialists at Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy for an evaluation and an exercise program for your specific needs. You dont have to live with the discomfort of OA of the knees we can help you restore hope through movement!
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Can Exercise Help This Patient
Mr S is a 55-year-old man with a 3-year history of progressively increasing bilateral knee pain, left worse than right. During the past 3 months, he was in a sedentary job, his weight increased by more than 10 kg, and his symptoms increased significantly. Mr S reported left knee pain as being 6 out of 10 on the visual analog scale , and he was using a walking stick to walk any distance. He had minimal symptoms at night, stiffness that resolved after about 15 minutes in the morning, and symptoms that worsened as the day went on. His pain was exacerbated by walking more than 15 minutes or on hills and by long periods of sitting. Mr S found relief by using a walking stick, moving his knees when sitting, and taking regular doses of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and paracetamol. Mr S’s radiographic films showed a decreased medial knee joint height with osteophyte formation. Overall, his presentation was consistent with moderate knee OA.
Mr Ss Progress Before and After an Exercise Program, Contrasted With the Minimal Clinically Important Difference of Each Scale
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What Is Osteoarthritis Of The Knee
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and the knee is one of the most commonly affected joints.
Everyones joints go through a normal cycle of damage and repair during their lifetime, but sometimes the bodys process to repair our joints can cause changes in their shape or structure. When these changes happen in one or more of your joints, its known as osteoarthritis.
A joint is a part of the body where two or more bones meet in your knee, its the thigh and shin bones. There is also a small bone at the front of the knee called the patella or kneecap.
The ends of our bones are covered in a smooth and slippery surface, known as cartilage . This allows the bones to move against each other without friction, and protects your joint from stress.
Your knee also has two other rings of a different type of cartilage known as menisci or meniscus, which help to share weight evenly across your knee joint, and theres also cartilage underneath your kneecap.
Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in your knee joint to thin and the surfaces of the joint to become rougher, which means that the knee doesnt move as smoothly as it should, and it might feel painful and stiff.
Osteoarthritis can affect anyone at any age, but its more common in women over 50.
Injuries or other joint problems, such as gout, can make people more likely to get osteoarthritis. The genes we inherit from our parents can also increase the risk of the condition developing.
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Adding Or Removing Some Bone Around A Joint
If you have osteoarthritis in your knees but you’re not suitable for knee replacement surgery, you may be able to have an operation called an osteotomy. This involves your surgeon adding or removing a small section of bone either above or below your knee joint.
This helps realign your knee so your weight is no longer focused on the damaged part of your knee. An osteotomy can relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis, although you may still need knee replacement surgery eventually.
Coping With Low Mood And Sleep Problems
You might find that osteoarthritis of the knee makes you feel depressed or anxious. Speak to your doctor if youre feeling low as they may be able to recommend psychological therapies to help you, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and stress-relieving techniques.
If your sleep is disturbed because of osteoarthritis of the knee, this could make your pain feel worse. However, there are things you can do for yourself that might help, such as:
- Keep a sleep diary to work out if there are any patterns to your sleep problems
- Sleep at regular times to get your body into a routine
- Avoid phones and other screens in the bedroom to help you wind down before bed.
If youre still having problems, speak to your doctor or an occupational therapist who can give you other tips and techniques to try, known as sleep hygiene.
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Terminal Knee Extensions :
This exercise is an important exercise for Vastus medialis activation also called VMO Exercise.
How do Terminal Knee Extensions?
To do this exercise you require one medium-sized ball. You are lying on your back on the soft mat or bed and placing the ball under your knee joint.Then gradually lift one heel off the ground till the knee joint is straight.Hold the straight knee for 5 to 10 seconds then gradually lower the leg.Repeat this VMO exercise â 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions, 2 times daily.Gradually increases the repetition as you improve after a few days.
Proper Oseteoarthritis Treatment Includes Exercise
There’s no cure for osteoarthritis, but there is a lot you can do to slow its progression, reduce pain, and maintain or improve function. Losing weight can be particularly helpful if you’re overweight or obese. You can often relieve pain with over-the-counter analgesics such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , including ibuprofen and aspirin. The use of canes, splints, or braces may be necessary to protect a joint from further injury.
But if there’s one osteoarthritis treatment an individual with osteoarthritis should do every day, it’s exercise. Regular exercise strengthens muscles and improves flexibility and balance. It not only helps ease pain and stiffness but also improves overall health. It’s also good for your mood and for staving off other conditions prevalent in older age.
Exercise as an integral part of prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis, especially in people ages 65 and over. After reviewing the evidence, the group also concluded that moderate-intensity exercise does not as some have feared increase the risk for osteoarthritis.
Research suggests that older women may be able to prevent osteoarthritis pain by getting as little as one to two hours of moderately intense physical activity each week. Lack of exercise may contribute directly to osteoarthritis, especially by causing the atrophy of supportive and shock-absorbing muscles, such as those surrounding the knee.
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Active Heel Slide Exercises
Active Heel Drag is an important exercise to maintain the range of motion of the knee joint.
How to do Active Heel Slide?
To do this exercise Lie flat on your back on the soft mat or bed with place your arms at your sidesNow you can gradually Slide your heel as close to your buttocks. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, Then gradually straighten the leg.Only bend your knee to a limit that is pain-free range and comfort.Repeat on the other leg.You may feel a slight stretch in or around your knee, but it must be pain-free.For each exercise, do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Rest for up to 2 to 3 minutes between sets.2 times daily.Gradually increases the repetition as you improve after a few days.
Move : Seated Leg Raise
This exercise helps activate your quads without adding extra pressure on your knee joint. This exercise can help relieve knee arthritis-related pain and improve the joint’s overall function, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
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Making A Fitness Plan With Oa
First, some bad news: Youre not going to exercise arthritis out of your knee.
Theres no amount of physical therapy that can change the arthritis, notes Dr. Orlandi. But what we can do is make its impact a lot less. The idea is to change the environment in which the arthritis lives in your body.
That starts with establishing a lifetime fitness routine that builds cardio, strength and flexibility. The human body is awesome in its ability to adapt, says Dr. Orlandi. So even if you have a lot of arthritis that is painful, you can make a huge impact on how you feel.
Move : Hamstring Stretch
Stretching your hamstrings is a must for those with knee OA, according to Kaiser Permanente. Improving this muscle’s flexibility can help maintain your knee joint’s range of motion.
“Make sure to not push into the tightness to where it becomes pain,” says Melissa Garcia, DPT, CSCS, a Washington-based physical therapist. “Slowly ease into the range of motion with each repetition.”
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Strength Exercises For Knee Osteoarthritis
Aging doesnt just cost you articular cartilage flexibility. It also takes a toll on your muscles, too and that can lead to knee instability.
Sarcopenia is the natural loss of muscle mass that comes with age. The process typically starts around age 30. On average, adults lose 3% to 5% of their muscle strength every decade after that birthday.
A strength program targeting your lower body helps limit the decline in muscles supporting your knee. Think of those muscles as load-sharing cables, says Dr. Orlandi. They work to limit stress and pressure on the joint.
Workout equipment offers numerous ways to build strength through exercises such as leg presses, hamstring curls and quad extensions.
If you dont have equipment or a gym membership, no worries! Try these simple exercises:
- Bodyweight squats. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your feet turned out slightly. Keeping your heels on the ground, bend your knees while dropping your butt and lowering your body. Pause before returning to standing. Repeat.
- Stair stepping. If you have stairs in your home, tackle those flights a few times a day. Stepping up and down off of a stool or block also is an option if youre living in a one-floor residence.
- Leg extensions. Sit on the edge of your bed or a chair and alternate kicking out your left and right legs.