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Media Releases
May is National Osteoarthritis Month
Exercise: One of the Best Pain Relievers for Osteoarthritis
Columbia, Mo. (May. 9, 2006) For people with osteoarthritis (OA), exercise may seem either out of the question or full of questions. Does exercise cause bad joints? Will it cause additional pain? What activities are appropriate and how much should I do to get the best out of it?
With these concerns in mind, it's not likely for the 21 million Americans living with OA to get too enthusiastic about exercise. May is National Osteoarthritis Month. Marian Minor, associate professor and chair of Physical Therapy in the MU School of Health Professions shared her opinion on exercise and OA, and dismissed some of the myths keeping many away from exercise. As co-principal investigator for the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC), Minor is currently conducting research on exercise and physical fitness for people with OA of the knee.
Myth I: Exercise causes bad cartilage.
Cartilage is a firm, rubbery tissue that cushions bones at joints. With osteoarthritis the cartilage breaks down. People with OA therefore may be particularly worried about doing activities involving additional pressure on their cartilage.
"This certainly is a misconception," says Minor. "It is not appropriate exercise but sitting and not using joints that makes cartilage vulnerable to injury."
According to Minor, immobility is a major contributor to joint injury and unhealthy cartilage. Regular exercise, on the other hand, has been shown by various studies to be associated with improved cartilage health, blood flow, improved range of motion, increased flexibility, as well as increased strength and endurance of the muscles surrounding the joints.
Myth II: Exercise increases pain.
This is again a misperception. "In fact, exercise is one of the best pain relievers people with OA can ever have," Minor says. It's been consistent throughout exercise research that improvement in function and physical activity levels can be achieved without increased pain or arthritis symptoms.
In Minor's research projects, the benefits of exercise to reduce pain and improve functioning are very encouraging. Most participants started feeling better within just a month. Besides reduced pain, they also found themselves able to do things they could not do before, such as going up the stairs foot over foot, zipping their own dresses on the back, putting on shoes themselves, and so forth.
Myth III: Weight-bearing activities should be avoided.
Many with osteoarthritis especially OA of the hip and the knee shy away from walking, running and stair climbing because of the increased stress these weight-bearing activities might exert on the knee. Although some weight-bearing activities - such as climbing up and down the stairs and carrying loads greater than 10% of body weight - may increase joint loading and should be avoided if they cause pain, some low impact activities like walking, aerobic dancing, and weight-lifting could be very beneficial to both the joint condition and general fitness, Minor says.
Myth IV: Exercise has to be a big, sweating endeavor.
People tend to think big when it comes to exercise. However, for those living with OA, "low to moderate intensity exercise is better than high intensity activities," Minor suggests. "The purpose of fitness exercise is get your whole body involved," says Minor, "it can be as simple as a 10 minute walk or ride on a bike." What's really essential is to do it regularly. "It's best if one can exercise three to four days a week with an accumulated 30 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity physical activity," Minor says.
A "talk test" may prevent you from working too hard during your exercise regimen. While exercising, keep a normal conversation with your exercise buddy at the same time. If you get out of breath, it's a sign for you to tone down a little. "If you are having a lot of pain, you should stop immediately and see a physician or a physical therapist for further instruction," says Minor.
If you have further questions or if you are interested in learning more about the exercise research study Dr. Minor is conducting, please call 573-882-4012 or email pt_research@health.missouri.edu.
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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