Do you have trouble getting up and getting moving in the morning due to knee pain? Does your knee now stop you from doing everyday tasks pain free? You may have osteoarthritis…

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and progressive condition involving the breakdown of cartilage that lines the end of bones in joints. This causes your bones to rub together and can lead to subsequent pain, swelling and or stiffness in your joints. OA mostly affects the hands, spine and joints such as hips, knees and ankles; and is the predominant condition leading to knee and hip replacement surgery in Australia.

1 in 11 Australians (9.3%) in 2017-18 have OA; affecting people of all ages, however the prevalence increases sharply from the age of 45 years. Furthermore, those whom have this condition were twice as likely to describe their health as ‘poor’, among those aged 45 and over. So for individuals suffering from this condition not only may experience physical impairments due to OA may have poor perceptions of themselves due to the inability to complete everyday tasks anymore.

What causes Knee OA? See Arthritis

• Joint instability

• Previous joint injury/trauma

• Increased body mass

• Repeated joint loading (eg. Kneeling, climbing, squatting)

How do we fix it?

The age old saying ‘Motion is lotion’ is not just hearsay. Exercise and movement for OA is medicine and the best form of conservative management for the condition. Exercise can reduce pain, improve range of motion, cardiovascular health and strengthen the supporting muscles around the knee.

The physiotherapists at Our Physio Central Coast can assist you with restoring your range of motion, help you in overcoming your pain barriers, and get back to living a happy and healthy life again with a progressive exercise program targeting knee, hip and core strengthening to offload your knee.

Some examples of simple home exercises to help your knee OA can be seen below.

Advice provided within this blog may not be suitable for all individuals suffering from knee pain. Assessment and diagnosis for each individuals impairments and suitability for exercises should always be conducted prior to developing a treatment plan and exercise prescription. Should you have any further questions or would like to discuss your knee pain with a physiotherapist, please contact Our Physio Central Coast (02) 4339 4475.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Osteoarthritis. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/osteoarthritis