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Stories for Reprint
Men with Knee Osteoarthritis
Prefer Exercise
By Ferdous Al-Faruque, MARRTC Staff
A new study by Yale University has found that if given the choice, many men with knee osteoarthritis or knee OA prefer working out to taking medication.
Osteoarthritis is a disease also known as degenerative arthritis, where the cartilage that lines people's joints weakens and crumbles, often causing pain and disability. Though it can affect people of all ages, it is most common in older people. Today, almost 21 million Americans are estimated to have OA and that number is expected to grow as the baby boomer population ages.
For the study, Yale University recruited 90 male participants between the ages of 53 and 87, who answered questions about their OA and treatment preferences. Researchers found that almost half the participants preferred exercise instead of drug treatments primarily because they wanted to increase their strength and endurance and were afraid of the possible side effects of the drugs.
Marian Minor, a professor of physical therapy at the University of Missouri, says that it is hard to say whether men in the study actually intend to follow their stated preference. "What people say they would prefer and what they would actually do regularly are not necessarily the same thing," she says. However, she adds that if participants of the study do follow their preference, exercising can be very beneficial for people with OA. "Exercise, depending on the type and intensity of the training, can strengthen muscles and improve flexibility and motion of joints," says Minor. "Both of these effects can help protect the joint from further damage and help to keep the cartilage healthy."
Minor says the real lesson from this research is for healthcare providers because they often think that patients are only interested in drug therapy. "If people say they would prefer to exercise it certainly opens the door for health care providers to support exercise as an important component of treatment," she says.
The Yale study also found that men who had the most severe knee pain were the most reluctant to exercise. However, people often don't realize that they don't need to work out in the traditional sense to get pain relief. Several recent studies have found that people with knee OA who simply changed their daily habits, such as walking an extra half hour a day, could effectively reduce their weight and knee pain. One study found that people who lost a nominal 15 pounds reduced their knee pain by half. In comparison, rheumatologists say that even the best drugs on the market can only reduce such pain by a third.
People with knee OA can get the exercise they need, without hurting their joints. There are exercise programs and self-management courses customized for people with arthritis and their individual needs. However, before starting any such program people should speak to their doctor to find out what program is best for them.
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