Dont slack off even with osteoarthritis (Nov 21, 2013) - By Ng Wan Ching Seven in 10 people here are at risk of knee osteoarthritis, which is a condition of chronic and debilitating degeneration of the knee joint, a recent survey has showed. The survey, done last year by health-care company Sanofi, also found that about 50 per cent of Singaporeans have been or are affected by chronic knee pain. About half of them visited the doctor, after a 13-month delay from the time they started getting the symptoms. Knee osteoarthritis, due to wear and tear, is usually characterised by degenerative changes of the cartilage and bone in the knee joint, as well as the formation of bone spurs, said Dr Cindy Lin, a staff-attending physician at the Changi Sports Medicine Centre at Changi General Hospital. In the 2004 Singapore Burden Of Disease Study, osteoarthritis, though not specific to the knee, was the fifth-highest cause of the number of years lost due to ill health, disability or early death in the elderly, Dr Lin said. The risk factors that can lead to knee osteoarthritis include obesity, knee joints that are not aligned properly, muscle weakness, prior severe injury to the knee, or hard manual labour involving heavy lifting, kneeling or repetitive knee bending, she said. These mean that either a sedentary lifestyle or high-impact sports can raise the risk of knee osteoarthritis. Other factors that can increase the risk of the condition and cannot be changed include growing old, being a woman and a family history of osteoarthritis, Dr Lin said. The symptoms of the condition include joint stiffness, loss of motion of the joint and swelling and pain when carrying out physical activities. While medication can reduce inflammation and pain, it is exercise which can reduce the debilitation of osteoarthritis. Typically, only about half of patients treated with medication experience a 30 per cent reduction in pain, usually without improved function. IMPORTANCE OF WEIGHT LOSS Exercise can help in various ways. For one thing, if a person is obese, the extra weight on the body adds significant pressure on the knees and can lead to greater thinning of the joints, said Dr Lin. Exercise, along with dietary changes, can help someone lose weight and lighten the load on the knees. A study, published in September in the Journal Of The American Medical Association, showed that exercise, combined with diet-induced weight loss, can significantly lessen knee pain and improve function for people who have knee osteoarthritis and who are obese or overweight. The goal of the study, involving 454 people aged 55 and older with moderate knee osteoarthritis, was to determine if a 10 per cent or greater reduction in body weight by diet, with or without exercise, would lead to less pain and greater mobility. The researchers, Professor Stephen Messier and his colleagues at the department of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in the United States, found that study participants who underwent intensive dieting and an hour of exercise three times a week for 18 months experienced a 51 per cent reduction in pain on average. On the other hand, those who received diet-only or exercise-only intervention experienced a 25 to 28 per cent pain reduction. To read more, go to: straitstimes/supplements/mind-your-body/story/dont-slack-even-osteoarthritis-20131121
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 07:21:26 +0000
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