What is osteoarthritis of the knee? What can I do about arthritis knee pain in the elderly?
Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the most common diseases of the elderly, and it’s safe to say that everyone gets it when they get old! The reason for this is actually quite understandable: just like a small car, the bearings wear out after so many years of driving.
Some cars are made of good materials (good genetics) or are well maintained (no serious damage has occurred), the bearings will break down later (late onset), while the opposite will require repair early (osteoarthritis of the knee can develop as early as the forties).
Symptoms often start with knee pain when walking up and down hills or stairs, with occasional swelling, which can be mild or severe. However, because it is a disease of the elderly, the overall trend is to get worse!
When osteoarthritis reaches an advanced stage, the knee joint is severely deformed, pain and restricted activity are evident, and quality of life and health are seriously affected, at which point only knee replacement surgery can completely solve the problem!
When it comes to open surgery, every patient friend will have a thump in their heart. In fact, in the process of disease development, adhere to a small action every day can make the knee joint more durable and away from surgery! So amazing? Let’s find out why!
The vicious circle of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee
Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee will be afraid to exercise because they are afraid of pain, which is actually not true!
Not exercising will make the thigh muscles (quadriceps) atrophy, which directly leads to poor stability of the knee joint, increased friction between joints, faster progress of osteoarthritis, and more pronounced and frequent pain, so patients are more afraid to move, and the knee joint is caught in a vicious circle!
Especially the elderly, once the body stops exercising, cardiopulmonary function will gradually become worse, obesity, “three high” and other metabolic diseases will also come, exercise tolerance further decline, physical condition into a vicious circle!
Lower limb muscle exercise methods that do not damage the knee joint, do you understand?
Exercising lower limb muscle strength can maintain good physical shape and prevent joint injuries during sports. There are many ways to exercise, such as squatting, jumping rope, climbing stairs, climbing and squatting horse stance, etc. These methods are optional for healthy people.
For those who have had knee injuries, the above methods will not only aggravate joint cartilage damage, but also make it easier to have accidents during exercise due to sudden pain.
Here are a few non-weight-bearing exercises that can be done at home without damage to the joint.
1, straight leg raise exercise
You can exercise the muscles around the knee joint; specific method.
Supine position, both elbows to support a stable body, the left leg bent, the right leg straightened, toes hooked, slowly lift the leg up to the heel raised about 15 cm height, stay for 3 seconds and then slowly put down.
Repeat 10 times and then switch to the other leg. If you feel relaxed, you can add weights at the ankle, such as one or two bags of salt, to increase the intensity of the exercise.
2, quadriceps isometric contraction exercises
Can exercise the anterior thigh muscles; specific method.
Legs as straight as possible, force to keep the thigh muscles tense, 5 seconds after relaxation. Repeat 10 times for the other leg.
3, clip pillow exercise
Can exercise the inner thigh muscles; specific method.
lying or sitting position, legs bent, the middle of both knees sandwich a pillow, both knees at the same time and hold 5 seconds after relaxation, repeat 10 times for a group.
4, side leg lift exercise
Can exercise the lateral thigh muscles; specific method.
Hold well to avoid falling, the left leg standing, the right leg raised to the side, stay for 3 seconds and then slowly put down, repeat 10 times for the other leg.
If you feel relaxed, side lying leg lift exercise, and can be weighted at the ankle to increase the intensity of exercise.
5.Sitting leg raise exercise
Can exercise the hip muscles and thigh muscles; specific methods.
Sit straight, bend both knees, left foot backward, toe point support, slowly raise the right leg, stay for 3 seconds and then slowly put down, repeat 10 times for the other leg.
6, tiptoe exercises
Can exercise calf muscles; specific method.
Stand on your toes with both feet at the same time, stay for 3 seconds and then slowly put them down. Repeat 10 times for 1 group.
Caution.
1, these exercises improve joint stability by strengthening the quadriceps strength, making the joints more durable!
2, Strong lower limb strength can make middle-aged and elderly people less likely to fall and get injured during outdoor activities!
3, contracting the lower extremity muscles can promote venous blood return and prevent the formation of venous thrombosis in the lower extremities!
Although these lower limb exercises have so many advantages, they also have shortcomings: as a resting state muscle exercise method, it is no substitute for outdoor exercise.
So what kind of outdoor exercise is good for your knees?
There are still quite a few exercises, especially the following common ones, that are great knee protection options.
First of all, it is the summer exclusive swimming.
During swimming, the knees are not subjected to extra pressure due to the buoyancy of the water; in addition, swimming is a full-body exercise and does not cause excessive wear and tear on a joint.
What’s more, swimming can also protect your knees to some extent!
Scientists investigated the effects of various aerobic exercises, over a 12-week period, on the rate of cartilage reduction in the knee joint.
The aerobic programs in the test group were: moderate speed jogging, cycling, brisk walking and swimming;
In the control group, no exercise was performed during the 12 weeks.
The results of the study showed that swimming had the least attrition on the knee joint.
The rate of cartilage reduction at the knee joint was minimal in the swimming group, even less than in the no-exercise group, which, in a way, could even be interpreted as a protective effect of swimming on the knee joint.
Brisk walking is also a good option for knee protection as long as you pay attention to the right amount.
The results from the study just presented show that swimming has minimal wear and tear on the knee joint4. Brisk walking is also a good option for knee protection as long as you take care of the right amount.
In order to make healthy exercise without harming the body, we recommend the following exercise points.
1.Walk slowly on a flat surface
Eyes naturally look straight ahead, the upper body straight, do not lean forward or hunchback, shoulders naturally relaxed, close the small abdomen.
Hands gently clenched fists, arms bent, with the pace of backward swing.
Swinging arms can increase the intensity of the movement, but also can effectively drive the rhythm of the whole body. Lower body as big as possible across the pace (but not too deliberate), feel the muscles of the hip is also tugged to.
Step out with the heel first on the ground, and then move the weight to the palm of the foot.
2, fast walking also need to pay attention to the correct posture
General principles
Speed: 120 to 140 steps per minute / treadmill speed of about 6 or so.
Intensity: breathing and heart rate accelerated, a little wheezing but still can talk.
Time: more than 30 minutes per time, more than 150 minutes per week cumulative, fat elimination and meat loss effect is better.
Upper body
Eyes naturally look straight ahead, upper body straight, do not lean forward or hunch over, shoulders naturally relaxed, close the small abdomen. Hands gently clenched fists, arms bent, with the pace of swinging backwards. Swinging your arms not only increases the intensity of the exercise, but also effectively drives the rhythm of the whole body.
Lower body
Stride as wide as possible (but not too deliberately), feel the muscles of the hips are also involved. Step out with your heel on the ground first, then shift your weight to the ball of your foot.