How To Exercise With Arthritic Knees

What Causes Knees Arthritis

• Old Age: It is more common in people that are in their late 40s and older
• Gender: Women are more prone to having osteoarthritis than men
• Heredity: You are at the risk of having osteoarthritis if there is a history of the illness in your family
• Obesity: being overweight increases your chances of developing arthritis in your knees
• Poor Bone Alignment
• Continuous Stress Injuries: This can be as a result of stressful jobs like mining and farming.
• Diet:People that dont eat enough vitamins D and K are at the risk of having arthritis in their knees.
• Athletics Injuries: Athletes who suffer constant injuries at their sport have high chances of suffering from arthritis.

• Crackling sensation in the affected joint

Now Lets jump right in, what are the best exercises for arthritis in knees? Below I compiled the list of 8 best exercises to get rid of knee arthritis

Knee Exercises For Arthritis

People living with knee arthritis pain may feel like exercise is the last thing they want to do or even should do. However, most people with knee osteoarthritis can benefit from regular exercise. In fact, research suggests regular exercise can be as effective as acetaminophen or NSAIDs in reducing knee arthritis pain.1

If done regularly, almost any knee exercise programs will result in improvements in knee pain and function.1 This article discusses the benefits of knee exercise and provides specific stretching, strength training, and aerobic exercises to get people started.

Strong muscles support the knee joint and help maintain healthy joint space between the bones.Without exercise, the muscles become weak and joint space is reduced, increasing joint frictionand worsening knee arthritis.

Exercise can provide multiple benefits to people who have or are at risk of knee arthritis, including:

Pain reduction. Exercise strengthens muscles, and stronger muscles can better support joints. By strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, and other muscles surrounding the knee, the knee becomes more stable and bones experience less impact during weight bearing, which in turn reduces pain. Exercise also releases endorphins, the bodys natural painkillers.

See Exercising with Arthritis

How To Exercise With Arthritis

I often get asked How can you exercise with arthritis? and funnily enough exercise is the best form of treatment for arthritis, the main problem is that people dont know what they should be doing.

Speaking from my own experience and the backing of extensive amounts of research, the best outcomes for arthritic knee pain relief are found when patients are regularly performing a quadriceps strengthening routine alongside low impact aerobic activity, such as, swimming, cycling, rowing, and walking.

Below are my top 8 quadriceps strengthening exercises that are great for reducing arthritic knee pain

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But You Can Try Chair Yoga

According to a recent research carried out at the Florida Atlantic University shows that chair yoga is effective alternative treatment for osteoarthritis.

See a yoga instructor to find out the best kind of yoga for your knee.

Almost everyone can benefit from yoga, even people with tender, swollen joints.

Precautions To Keep In Mind Before Exercising With Knee Arthritis

If youre new to exercise, its always smart to first talk to your doctor. Your doctor or physical therapist can make sure the exercises are safe for you and help you gain strength, without exacerbating inflammation or aggravating joint pain. Likewise, if youve had surgery on your knee, get guidance from your doctor or physical therapist on what knee exercises are safe for you. More tips to help protect your joints:

Start slowlyEase your joints into exercise if you havent been active for a while, say experts. Push too hard too fast, and you can overwork your muscles and worsen joint pain. Go easy at first, then increase the length and intensity of your work out as you progress.

Move gentlyAt the start of every exercise activity, start with five minutes or 10 minutes of stretching to help elongate the muscles and make them easier to move, says Dr. Johnson and do it again at the end. Dont force any stretches keep your movements slow and easy. With strength training, begin with fewer reps or lower weight, and build up gradually.Do a little every dayIf you have a flare of RA or an increase in OA pain, you should still stay active, suggests Dr. Johnson. Some simple stretching, like these range-of-motion stretches, may diminish some of the pain.

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Youre Passing On Fruits And Vegetables Which Can Help You Lose Weight

People who eat more fruit, as well as those who are active and generally in good health, tend to have lower levels of osteoarthritis pain, according to the results of a survey of 197 adults published in September 2015 in the journal Pain Research & Management. Plus, eating healthier and being active can help reduce weight, which can also help reduce stress on the knee joint. In general, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats, and avoid processed foods if you need to lose weight, says Dr. Johnson.

Finding The Best Hip Arthritis Treatment In North Dakota

Dont let the symptoms of hip arthritis render you unable to do the things you enjoy. Exercise is your most effective pill-free treatment to alleviate the pain and symptoms of hip arthritis. You can consult any one of our board-certified, highly skilled orthopedic surgeons. They are experts in treating hip arthritis and can help you determine the exercises that best meet your needs. They can devise a treatment plan for you to reduce pain, maintain function, and prevent the progression of your condition.

Call us today at The Bone & Joint Center at 946-7400 / 900-8650 to schedule an appointment or use our online request form. We look forward to being your healthcare partner!

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Stretching Exercises For Knee Osteoarthritis

Stretching can help minimize the loss of flexibility in and around your knee. You want to make sure youre stretching your hamstrings, quads, calves and hip flexors to help address any stiffness you might feel, says Dr. Orlandi.

Examples include:

• Hamstring stretch. Stand in front of a chair or steps. Place your right foot on the chair or step, with your heel on the surface and toes pointed up. Slowly bend forward at the waist, keeping your back as straight as possible. You should feel the stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold for a few at least 10 seconds before returning to standing. Alternate feet and repeat 5-10 times.
• Quad stretch. While standing, bend your left leg back, bringing your heel toward your butt. Grab your foot with your left hand and hold. Try to bring your left thigh back until its even with your right thigh. Hold for at least 10 seconds. Alternate legs and repeat 5-10 times.
• Calf raises. Stand on a step with your heels hanging over the edge. Rise up on your toes and then slowly drop your heels down until theyre below the level of the step. Hold for at least 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

Give yoga a try, too, to keep your joints and muscles in tip-top shape.

How To Practice Squatting

Squatting can help build leg and hip strength, leading to more stable joints. Over time, your range of motion will increase.

As long as youre able to practice with minimal knee joint discomfort, its safe to include squats in your exercise routine.

People with arthritis may find the most benefit in wall squats, since squatting against the wall can help reduce your risk of putting unnecessary or incorrect pressure on your knees.

To do a basic squat:

Keep the knee over the ankle and not over the ball of the foot, Bell cautions.

If you begin to experience intense pain at any point more than your typical knee pain you should stop the practice for the day.

Be sure to give the move another try during your next practice. Youll find that your pain threshold increases as you build up muscle strength.

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There Are Many Ways To Strengthen The Muscles Of Your Knees

So it comes down to your preferences, as research suggests:

Pilates, aerobic and strengthening exercise programmes performed for 8-12 weeks, 3-5 sessions per week each session lasting 1 h appear to be effective. Both aquatic and land-based programmes show comparable and positive effects. Raposo, 2021

How To Do These Strength Moves

Keep it slow3 seconds to lift, 3 seconds to lower, says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at Quincy College and author of Strength Training Past 50. If using weight, use 60% to 70% of your 1-rep maxthe most you can lift one time. For all moves, do 1 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions, two or three days a week.

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Youre Trying To Cope With Knee Osteoarthritis By Yourself

People with knee osteoarthritis often know that healthy lifestyle habits like exercise and weight control are recommended, but they arent implementing them, Dr. Garver says. His research, which was published in the October 2014 issue of The Journal of Rheumatology found that meeting with others who have osteoarthritis and sharing similar challenges can help motivate people to change their habits and add an exercise routine into their life.

Preserve Knee Function With Exercise & Changes In Your Lifestyle

Exercise, including water aerobics, strength training, and yoga, can help preserve knee function to ultimately relieve pain and swelling. The same exercises will help you lose weight, lessening the pressure on your knees. Exercise also helps maintain full range of motion in the knee joints, strengthens the muscles supporting the joints, and absorbs shock impacting the joints.

Walking is the most beneficial form of exercise. Its low-impact, and because its a weight-bearing exercise, it helps strengthen muscles and builds bones. Start out slow, gradually increasing your pace and distance for best results. Water exercises or walking in the shallow end of the pool are also great for muscle strength and knee flexibility. Because the body is buoyant in water, it lessens impact to near zero as it makes you work a little harder to move.

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Youre Not Losing Weight If You Need To Which Could Stress Your Knee Joint

The more you weigh, the more stress is placed on the knee joint, which can trigger an increase in pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons . Whats more, a study published in August 2017 in the journal Radiology found that when overweight and obese adults lost weight over a two-year period, they significantly slowed down their rate of knee cartilage degeneration.

Start With Gentle Stretches

When beginning any activity, start with five minutes or 10 minutes of stretching to help elongate the muscles and make them easier to move, Dr. Johnson said. And do it again at the end. Dont force any stretches keep your movements slow and easy. With strength training, begin with fewer reps or lower weight, and build up gradually.

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Easy Exercises For Knee Arthritis

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How exercise helps knee arthritis

Arthritis affects millions of people around the world. Two of the most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis . Both types often lead to knee pain.

Exercising an arthritic knee may seem counterintuitive, but regular exercise can actually lessen and even relieve arthritis pain and other symptoms, such as stiffness and swelling.

There are several reasons to exercise with knee arthritis:

• Exercise maintains the joints full range of motion.
• Exercise strengthens the muscles that support the joint.
• Strong muscles help the joint absorb shock.

Exercise doesnt have to be hard to be beneficial. In fact, gentle, low-impact exercises are best for knee arthritis. They minimize stress on the joint as they increase its flexibility and strength. Learn more about osteoarthritis here.

What Are The Signs Of Arthritis

• Joint becomes stiff and swollen, making it difficult to bend and straighten the knee
• Pain and swelling is worse after sitting or resting for long periods of time
• Vigorous activity increases levels of pain
• Deformities of the knee
• Loose fragments of cartilage and other tissue may interfere, causing the knee to lock or stick during movement
• Feelings of weakness and buckling of the knee, poor range of motion

Diagnosing your knee arthritis early can help you seek treatment and therapies that relieve pain and preserve your ability to move without pain or difficulty. Knee pain can also indicate that you have osteoporosis, in which your bones lose their density and become more fragile. This condition can cause pain and discomfort similar to that caused by arthritis. If knee pain is interfering with daily activities more frequently, see your doctor as soon as possible to test for more serious conditions.

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Symptoms Of Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis in the knee often introduces itself to you in four basic ways, says Dr. Orlandi. Those symptoms are:

• Pain, which can vary in intensity from dull to sharp. Itll often spike with more rigorous activity and ease with rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications.
• Stiffness in the joint, particularly after youve been sitting or lying down for longer periods.
• Loss of flexibility and range of motion.
• Swelling and a warm, burning sensation usually a sign of more advanced arthritis.

Types Of Arthritis That Occur In Your Knees

There are 3 different types of arthritis that can occur in your knees.

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What Causes Osteoarthritis In The Knee

Before looking at how to manage osteoarthritis in the knee, its a good idea to understand how that pain started in the first place with a little anatomy 101.

Rubbery and flexible connective tissue known as articular cartilage covers and sits between bones that meet in your knee. The slippery tissue cushions the joint, serving like a shock absorber as you walk, run, jump and otherwise move around the world.

That cartilage takes a beating, though, and small tears naturally develop as the malleable material grows more rigid over time. The articular cartilage in your knee eventually starts to flatten and stiffen like an old chair pad.

And when that cartilage stops absorbing the shock well, you notice.

Factors that lead to osteoarthritis in your knee include:

• Aging.
• Injury, which can lead to early deterioration.
• Excess weight that puts added strain on your knees. For every 3 lbs. of weight you have, you put 10 lbs. of pressure on your joints, notes Dr. Orlandi.
• Genetics.

Yoga For Knee Arthritis Relief

If you like meditation you may love yoga too

Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines or practices that originated in ancient India.

It is a discipline that includes breath control and the adoption of specific bodily postures.

Yoga is good to avoid knee injuries by keeping the knees flexible and which is important for maintaining mobility.

It enhances the flexibility of your joints thus useful in treating knee injuries and lengthening the nearby joint muscle.

In addition,yoga promotes weight loss, a healthy immune system and reduces joint inflammation.

There are different types of yoga all around the world.

Avoid hot yoga, power yoga and flow , which can increase internal heat and put excessive pressure on your joints.

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To Get Better Results

If you have healthy knees, aim for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise. If you havent worked out in a while, start with one set and build up from there.

If you have osteoarthritis, try to do these exercises 3-5 times per week for 8-12 weeks. Studies suggest this can help you manage the knee pain and improve your knee function.

Also:

• Stop doing these exercises if theyre painful or you feel a sharp pain in your knees.
• Dont push through the pain or you risk getting injured.
• Mild swelling is common, mostly if you havent exercised in a while. Too much swelling is a sign that you might be doing too much or theres an injury.
• Reduce the number of sets or repetitions if you have too much muscle soreness afterward.
• Combine these exercises with good sleep and nutrition habits for best results.

If you arent sure whether you can do these exercises or not, consult with a physical therapist first.