We’ve all heard about arthritis and know someone who deals with its impacts on a day-to-day basis. But what actually is arthritis?
Facts:
- Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints, characterized by swelling and stiffness
- Arthritis is caused by wear and tear of the joint structures, both bone and cartilage, but the damage can be increased by other factors such as smoking habits and overall fitness levels. It is important to note that exercise is not the cause of arthritis, it is the treatment.
- Arthritis is not always symptomatic, as people may live their whole lives without ever noticing the disease
Management:
Just like muscles, disuse of our joints will lead to weakness in the cartilage and lead to increased breakdown of our bodies natural protection from the disease. Regular low grade exercise can help to prevent cartilage breakdown
Our muscles are important to our joints as well. Regular exercise has consistently been shown to be beneficial for the prevention and management of arthritis. By using our muscles, we bring valuable nutrients to the joint through increased circulation, as well as improve our overall skeletal alignment to ensure we use our joints correctly. Chen D,
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Eckstein F, Hudelmaier M, Putz R. The effects of exercise on human articular cartilage. J Anat. 2006 Apr;208(4):491-512. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00546.x. PMID: 16637874; PMCID: PMC2100201.
Kong H, Wang XQ, Zhang XA. Exercise for Osteoarthritis: A Literature Review of Pathology and Mechanism. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 May 3;14:854026. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.854026. PMID: 35592699; PMCID: PMC9110817.
Loeser RF. The Role of Aging in the Development of Osteoarthritis. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2017;128:44-54. PMID: 28790486; PMCID: PMC5525396.
