Osteoarthritis and Exercise

September 8th was World Physiotherapy day and their topic of interest this year was Osteoarthritis. It is the most common type of arthritis and is something that a lot of people have heard of, but there is a lot of misinformation regarding what it is, and what treatments are best.

What is Osteoarthritis? What are the symptoms?

We all have supportive structures like cartilage in our knees and hips that help absorb force from our daily activities and sports. However, as we get older these structures start to stiffen and flatten and they are not able to redistribute and absorb force as well as they used to.

This leads to symptoms like pain that can be dull or sharp. It usually increases with activity but gets better when you rest it. Pain is commonly associated with feelings of stiffness especially in the morning or after sitting down for long periods. You may also notice decreased movement of your hip or knee, and it may look or feel swollen.

Risk Factors for developing osteoarthritis include previous injury to the joint affected, being overweight, being a woman, and having a family history of osteoarthritis. Some of these things cannot be modified or changed except for preventing joint injury and managing weight (World Physiotherapy, 2022).

Best Treatment: Exercise

Exercise is the first line of treatment, and research has deemed it safe and effective. We cannot change your cartilage and joint, but we can improve muscle strength to limit pressure on the joint. This can delay/prevent joint replacement and functional decline, reduce joint pain, and decrease your risk for falls and fractures. Exercise has also been shown to at least be as effective as pain medications, and you do not have any serious side effects (World Physiotherapy, 2022).

Exercise programs can be adapted by a physiotherapist to your own individual needs, but in general they should include local muscle strengthening, normalising movement patterns, participating in aerobic exercise, and minimising sedentary time. Research suggests that a 12-week program with 2 exercise sessions per week results in a clinical benefit (Skou & Ross, 2019).

Is Exercise Safe for me?

Yes! Exercise is a great treatment for everyone with osteoarthritis. It does not matter your age, severity of symptoms or the level of disability you have. Exercise is adaptable to the level you need and are at (World Physiotherapy, 2022).

Things like walking, swimming, and cycling are great but you need to listen to your body. Some people can tolerate more, some people tolerate less. Nothing is off limits until your body/physio says so. Do not stop high intensity exercises like running if you are already doing them, but maybe scale back mileage or intensity (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).

What can we do?

Here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy in Dublin 4, we will complete a comprehensive assessment and provide advice on the best exercise programme for you based on the findings and best available evidence. We also have our Stronger for Longer Classes that incorporate these principles in a group setting. If interested in an assessment or class, contact us or book online today!

Resources and References

World Physiotherapy: World PT Day 2022 Osteoarthritis Posters

Cleveland Clinic: The Best Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis (2021)

Physical therapy for patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis: supervised, active treatment is current best practice (Skou & Ross, 2019)

Knee Osteoarthritis: Key treatments and implications for physical therapy (Dantas et al., 2021)

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