Objective
To carry out regular, scientific exercise workouts so that the patient develops a habit of enjoying exercise and sticking to it consistently.
The toughest and most important step is how to start correctly. Patients with osteoarthritis need to avoid both high-intensity weight-bearing exercise and a certain level of activity, so they need to develop an appropriate exercise program. A slow and steady workout is the best way to start.
General rules
The most important exercise workouts include aerobic training and plyometric training, which also require active range of motion training. Aerobic exercises, plyometric exercises and stretching exercises are the exercises that need to be performed for people with osteoarthritis. Aerobic exercise usually refers to low to moderate intensity and long duration endurance exercises such as walking, jogging, power biking, tai chi, etc. Aerobic exercise training can reduce weight and lower extremity load, thus reducing pain.
Plan
The plan that the doctor helps the patient to develop must be easy to achieve. It can start with a lifestyle change from being sedentary all the time to being active. Follow some basic guidelines to establish a healthy, independent and beneficial lifestyle. Warm up well before exercising, and exercise intensity and duration should be moderate according to your physical condition. If you stop exercising for more than a month, it means that your ability to exercise has decreased and you need to start again with a small amount of exercise and low intensity.
Osteoarthritis Training Program
An exercise program is recommended for patients with mild to moderate knee arthritis.
Patients with osteoarthritis often have weak muscles and ligaments around the joints and this can be a risk factor for aggravating or promoting the progression of osteoarthritis. Therefore, muscle strength training of the lower extremity muscles is required. In particular, patients with knee osteoarthritis often
weakness of the quadriceps muscle is present, and intensive muscle training of the quadriceps muscle is needed (1-4).
1. Isotonic muscle training: This is a training method in which the tension of the muscle fibers remains constant during muscle contraction and produces joint movement. Progressive resistance muscle training is a commonly used method that is more effective in relieving pain. For example, sitting in a chair, the exercise side of the ankle tied moderate weight sandbags, efforts to straighten the knee, hold for a few seconds and then slowly lower. Do 10 at a time, 2-3 times a day. Supine position, straight leg raise 30 degrees, hold for 10 seconds, relax and rest for 10 seconds. 10-15 times/group, 3-6 groups/day.
2. Sitting in bed, hook the foot and stretch the muscles behind the thigh, stretch until the knee joint is straight, hold for 20 seconds, relax and rest for 10 seconds. 10-15 times/group, 3-6 groups/day.
3. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee may also have limited joint mobility, so active stretching is also necessary. For example, in the supine position, hold the leg stretch; or in the sitting position, put a chair in front of you, straighten the knee stretch; supine position, sliding wall exercises (flexion and extension of the knee), flexion to the maximum hold for 10 seconds, relaxation rest for 10 seconds.
4, isometric muscle training: refers to muscle contraction, the length of muscle fibers remain the same, and does not produce joint activity. For example, lying flat and straighten the lower limbs, thigh tense so that the back of the knee against the bed for a few seconds and then relax, 10 each time, 2-3 times a day.
5. Walking: The intensity of walking is based on one’s own tolerance, that is, the pain will not gradually increase in the days after walking. Then gradually increase the intensity of training according to the individual situation, the goal of training is 3-5 times a week, each time lasts 20-60 minutes. If walking is poorly tolerated, you can walk in water or with a cart, or you can switch to pedal power bike training. Flat brisk walking (according to their own speed), 1-2 times a day, each time 15-30 minutes.
6, swimming: a good exercise, not only can exercise the knee muscles and activities, the strengthening of the low back muscles is also very helpful. 1-2 times / week.
7, cycling: non-weight-bearing exercise knee muscles and activities, preferably with a special fitness static pedal power bike for exercise.
Caution
1, two weeks after training follow-up to check the functional recovery.
2. Training needs to be done in a gradual manner in order not to cause continuous pain aggravation or swelling of the joint. There may be some muscle pain at the beginning, but do not stop the exercise, and the pain will disappear after regular practice. If the adaptation exercise produces severe pain or swelling, stop training and seek prompt medical attention. Excessive fatigue should not occur during training.
3. Walk exercises gradually, gradually increase the amount of exercise and walking distance.
4, choose a comfortable time to exercise, not in a short period of time after a meal or when the environmental conditions are humid exercise attention to the choice of comfortable and flexible shoes, the sole should be arch support; when selecting shoes, to select the more advanced materials made of, can “breathe”, such as leather products or nylon products with mesh.
5, ensure sufficient time to do warm-up and cool-down activities by walking, bending the body and gentle stretching exercises. Do stretching ligament exercises to help avoid injury.
6. Make a reasonable schedule, you can exercise every other day or take 3 days off a week, etc. Start planning 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day, if exercising for 30 minutes is too difficult or there is not enough time, you can split the time.
If the patient is in too much pain to go out and exercise, instruct him/her to do some soft stretching exercises. Resume exercise early and gradually increase the amount of exercise once the condition has stabilized or the pain environment has been stabilized.
Principles of exercise
Gradually, persist for a long time, and adjust according to joint symptoms and physical endurance at any time.