The New York Times – Nearly 20 percent of Americans 45 and older have knee osteoarthritis. Worldwide, the number is predicted to increase nearly 75 percent by 2050, because of aging, population growth and obesity.
Knee osteoarthritis is a long-term, degenerative condition that can’t be reversed.
It develops in four stages as cartilage in the joint wears down, eventually leaving the bones to grind against each other and causing symptoms like stiffness, swelling and a persistent ache around the joint.
“Cartilage doesn’t have pain receptors, but bone does,” said Dr. Yale Fillingham, vice chair of research at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia.
Many people with the condition live with a lurking dread that any misstep could aggravate it. But, as with other forms of chronic pain, experts agree that the best way to manage pain and improve quality of life is moving more, not less.
“This uncomfortable condition is increasingly common as you age. But it doesn’t mean you can’t work out.”
Exercise helps to lubricate the knee by sloshing around synovial fluid in the capsule that coats the joint and reduces stiffness, said Steffany Moonaz, director of clinical and health services research at Southern California University of Health Sciences.
“It’s like oil, creating more mobility in the joints,” she said.
The most effective kind of exercise will vary based on the individual and how advanced their arthritis is. Someone with stage four, bone-on-bone knee osteoarthritis may feel fine running, while someone with mild cartilage loss could find it intolerable.
Here’s how to choose the right regimen for you.
Get your heart pumping with aerobic activity.
A recent meta-analysis examined 217 trials involving 15,684 participants and six types of exercise to manage knee osteoarthritis …
