Osteoarthritis exercise time

Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
Updated on September 19, 2024
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We say that all exercise must have a limit, and it should be within the patient’s tolerance. Walking exercises for osteoarthritis are permissible, but we do not advocate excessive exercise. Instead, it is best to focus primarily on rest. We say that life depends on movement, but joints rely on stillness. What does this mean? We do not advocate excessive activity in the joints. What is considered excessive activity? For example, if an osteoarthritis patient finishes a day of walking exercise and feels no pain, swelling, or discomfort in the joints, then the degree and amount of exercise they undertook are acceptable. However, if the patient finishes exercising and experiences significant pain, swelling, or discomfort in the joints by the evening, this indicates that the exercise was too much, and it was not suitable for them. They must rest and avoid such intense activities, indicating that walking exercises are not suitable. Thus, whether walking exercises are appropriate for patients with arthritis needs a balanced view, especially for patients in the acute phase of osteoarthritis. The mindset of exercising through the pain, regardless of discomfort, is absolutely incorrect. During the acute phase of osteoarthritis, we recommend resting as much as possible. During the remission phase of osteoarthritis, whether and how much walking exercise one should engage in also needs to be determined based on the severity of the patient’s condition and their subjective feelings. It cannot be generalized.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
1min 38sec home-news-image

Osteoarthritis exercise time

We say that all exercise must have a limit, and it should be within the patient’s tolerance. Walking exercises for osteoarthritis are permissible, but we do not advocate excessive exercise. Instead, it is best to focus primarily on rest. We say that life depends on movement, but joints rely on stillness. What does this mean? We do not advocate excessive activity in the joints. What is considered excessive activity? For example, if an osteoarthritis patient finishes a day of walking exercise and feels no pain, swelling, or discomfort in the joints, then the degree and amount of exercise they undertook are acceptable. However, if the patient finishes exercising and experiences significant pain, swelling, or discomfort in the joints by the evening, this indicates that the exercise was too much, and it was not suitable for them. They must rest and avoid such intense activities, indicating that walking exercises are not suitable. Thus, whether walking exercises are appropriate for patients with arthritis needs a balanced view, especially for patients in the acute phase of osteoarthritis. The mindset of exercising through the pain, regardless of discomfort, is absolutely incorrect. During the acute phase of osteoarthritis, we recommend resting as much as possible. During the remission phase of osteoarthritis, whether and how much walking exercise one should engage in also needs to be determined based on the severity of the patient’s condition and their subjective feelings. It cannot be generalized.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
54sec home-news-image

Is moxibustion okay for osteoarthritis?

Moxibustion for osteoarthritis is feasible; it can alleviate local symptoms of pain and swelling in osteoarthritis. Currently, there are two methods of treatment for osteoarthritis: The first is conservative treatment, which includes physical therapy, rehabilitation, moxibustion, acupuncture, oral medication, and injections of sodium hyaluronate, all of which can relieve symptoms of joint pain, swelling, and discomfort during movement. The second method is surgical treatment, which is considered when conservative treatment is ineffective, or when symptoms worsen after conservative treatment. Presently, there are two approaches to surgical treatment: The first involves arthroscopic minimally invasive cleaning of the joint, followed by further cleaning of the meniscus and synovium; the second method is joint replacement, with total knee replacement being the most common.

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Written by Li Jin
Orthopedics
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Osteoarthritis Care Measures

Patients with arthritis should first pay attention to rest in daily life, keep warm, avoid cold and dampness, avoid excessive strain on the knee joints, try to minimize going up and down stairs, and reduce exercises that involve bending and bearing weight on the knee joints. Additionally, obese patients should pay attention to losing weight to avoid further wear and tear on the cartilage. In terms of diet, it is important to enhance nutrition, appropriately supplementing foods rich in high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamins, such as chicken, fish, milk, eggs, beans, vegetables, fruits, etc. It is also important to get more sun exposure and appropriately supplement vitamin D. These nursing measures are beneficial for the patient's condition.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
39sec home-news-image

What foods are eaten for osteoarthritis?

First, it should be clear that food does not play a significant role in the treatment of osteoarthritis. It neither has particularly good effects nor particularly bad effects, so the goal should be to maintain a balanced diet. For some elderly men, it is important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet and avoid being overweight. For elderly women, osteoarthritis patients often also suffer from osteoporosis; in such cases, it is necessary to pay attention to calcium supplementation in the diet to prevent osteoporosis. These measures are feasible, but relying on any specific food to treat osteoarthritis is not very realistic.

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Written by Guan Jing Tao
Orthopedics
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Is physiotherapy good for osteoarthritis?

The answer is affirmative. For osteoarthritis, especially that caused by chronic diseases, local physiotherapy helps promote the dissipation of inflammation, the reduction of joint effusion, and the improvement of local tissue inflammation. Moreover, for some patients with osteophyte formation, consistent daily physiotherapy also aids in improving local pain and swelling, joint effusion, and other symptoms. It helps in promoting regional recovery and alleviating the further aggravation of local effusion and swelling.