Wickenburg Community Hospital & Clinics
Exercise plays a major role in joint health. As we age, our joints can develop degenerative disease known as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis can affect just about any joint in our body but is more prone to develop in weight bearing joints such as the knee and hip. We have a cartilage layer that lines our joints called articular cartilage which serves to allow for frictionless range of motion and cushions the joint during impact. It is bathed in synovial fluid which serves to nourish the joint and improve movement. As we age, our large weight bearing joints tend to lose some of the cartilage layer and the synovial fluid becomes less effective at decreasing friction and stress. This results in osteoarthritis, which can become severe enough that it creates significant pain and affects mobility.
Some forms of exercise tend to hasten the development of osteoarthritis, namely high impact activities such as jogging. However, low impact activities such as biking, use of elliptical trainers and especially weight training can help us keep our muscles toned and offset the stress experienced by the joints. Weightlifting has the added benefit of building larger and stronger quadriceps muscles (large muscles in the front of our thigh that actively extend your knee) which significantly absorb stress that would otherwise be transferred to the joint. Although it’s counterintuitive, when we lift weights, especially with an axial load applied with a leg press machine, the joints experience increased synovial fluid production which can be protective. Resistance exercise done properly should be part of any exercise routine with patients who have osteoarthritis as long as it is well tolerated.
It is also important to maintain a proper weight for your height and body style. Excess weight significantly increases development and progression of osteoarthritis so it is imperative to strive to reach and preserve a healthy body weight.
Playing racquet sports such as pickleball usually are fairly well tolerated as long as some generalized strengthening is incorporated to develop the quadriceps muscles around the knee. However, in patients with pre-existing osteoarthritis of the knee, they may experience aggravation of their knee symptoms with racquet sports. Sometimes use of an elastic sleeve type brace can be helpful.
tis, it is also beneficial to take supplements such as chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine to improve joint health.
Osteo Bi-Flex is a good supplement that can be found in most stores over the counter and has several supplements that are helpful in alleviating joint pain.
As the cartilage degenerates, the joint can become painful and stiff. Normal activities such as walking can become more difficult and painful and some people experience pain at night that can keep them awake.
In the early stages of arthritis, treatment can consist of use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as Advil or Al eve as well as physical therapy to help build the muscles around the knee or hip to help offset some of the stress to the joint.
As the arthritis progresses, injections of medications into the knee or hip joint can be very helpful in alleviating the pain and restoring function.
When there is severe loss of the joint cartilage in the knee or hip, and pain cannot be controlled with more conservative treatments, such as injections, a knee or hip replacement surgery may become necessary to return to normal activities and improve a patient’s quality of life.
At Wickenburg Community Hospital we provide world-class surgical treatment for patients in need of knee or hip replacement surgery. Our surgical center offers the latest in robotic knee and hip replacement, utilizing the innovative Mako robotic system which is used by the surgeon to perform the replacement surgery of the knee and hip and significantly improves the outcomes patients can expect postoperatively.
Most of the patients I see in my orthopedic practice with painful joints can be managed conservatively without surgery. If you are experiencing pain in your hip or knee, make an appointment to be evaluated so we can return you to your normal lifestyle as soon as possible.
