Exercise helps arthritis patients

Strength training can help ease pain and improve physical functioning in people with knee osteoarthritis. Weak quadriceps muscles and out-of-balance joints can contribute to the development of osteoarthritis of the knee. Researchers from Australia reviewed 18 studies to assess the effectiveness of isolated resistance training on the symptoms of arthritis, physical performance, and psychological functioning in people with knee osteoarthritis. The studies involved 2,832 patients between the ages of 55 and 74 years. Besides interventions that included training with free weights, working out on weight machines, and using exercise bands; almost all the patients were prescribed three sessions of resistance exercise weekly. During the exercise sessions, patients were required to adopt the progressive approach i.e. increase the intensity of their exercises with time, like lifting heavier weights. Improvements in pain, physical function, walking speed and balance were observed in patients after undergoing progressive strength training in most of the studies. However, 3 of the 4 studies that showed no significant effect of strength training did not use the progressive approach. The researchers concluded that resistance exercise would be beneficial to people suffering with disability from degeneration in their knee joints as it strengthens muscles and restores normal joint mechanics. Further investigations are, however, required to determine the safety and long-term benefits of resistance training for these patients.

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