Inactivity Worsens Knee Arthritis – Keep Moving

For thousands of people with knee arthritis, performing routine tasks such as climbing stairs, bending over, or even walking can be painful, prompting many sufferers to avoid them altogether in favor of a more sedentary lifestyle. But a new study confirms what many had suspected: If you don't use your muscles, your arthritis will get worse. There’s scientific proof to back up this recommendation that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee to keep moving and stay active despite the pain -- based on the notion that inactivity would make their condition worse.

"In the short term, pain can be reduced by avoiding physical activity. In the long term, however, low activity levels will result in a deterioration of physical condition, especially in muscle weakness,"

"Due to this muscle weakness, joints become less stable and their ability to carry a load is reduced. This results in increased disability," "Consequently, the patient avoids activity even more, thus entering a viscous circle toward increasing physical disability."
Part of the problem may be that inactive people develop doubts about their capabilities -- which causes them to avoid certain everyday tasks even with no clear physical reason for this.
The people who avoided activity were more likely to be disabled than people who continued on with simple activities or used rest in between activities to make it through the day. During acute pain in knee arthritis small periods of rest during work and exercise is recommended . This protocol allows mobility and pain control simultaneously. Not all the exercises are good for a painful arthritic knee and some may even aggravate the pain. The best are isometric quadriceps , light workout for calf and hamstrings , Quadriceps strengthening and stationary cycling etc.
Patients with Knee Arthritis should remain active and perform routine exercises to maintain muscle strength and mobility. Such active patients who later undergo Knee Replacement recover much earlier than the patients with weak muscles.
Dr. Harinder Batth, M.S (PGI)
Joint Replacement & Orthopedic Surgeon