When your arthritis pain flares up, what do you most feel like doing? If you’re like most people, the answer probably isn’t: head out and do some exercise.
Yet, as you’ve probably heard by now, regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to look after your knee joints and improve pain – at least as a general, day-to-day rule.
Given that doing the one thing you don’t want to do takes some effort – to put it mildly – you’d want to be pretty sure there’s good evidence for it. So, what exactly are the benefits of exercise for osteoarthritis pain? Specifically, how does it help? Here are seven answers to that question.
Improves blood flow
A healthy circulation is important because it transfers strength-building nutrients and oxygen to our body tissues. Although joint cartilage (the thing that gets worn away in osteoarthritis) doesn’t itself contain blood vessels, the tissues and muscles around the knee joint certainly do. Exercise is one of the best ways to boost blood circulation and keep the good chemicals flowing to them.
Strengthens muscles
The key point here is that your leg muscles provide powerful support and stability to the bones that hinge backwards and forwards in your knee joint when it moves. In other words, stronger muscles mean better support for a damaged knee. Which means they’ll help to protect and alleviate pressure on the joint – and therefore help to reduce pain.
Maintains bone strength
Although we often think of bones as static, they aren’t. The quality and density of bone changes over time; activity stimulates bone-building osteoblasts and wards off osteoporosis. This is why astronauts have to be so conscious of their joint health in space. Studies show that prolonged weightlessness causes loss of bone mass.
Increases pain tolerance
We all know exercise feels good afterwards – endorphins, the “happiness hormones” released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland during activity, are sometimes described as the body’s “natural painkillers”. But studies have shown that regular exercise also boosts the brain’s pain tolerance, improving pain sensitivity to an even greater degree than things like massage or stress management.
Raises energy levels
It’s another paradox, but tiring ourselves through activity is, ultimately, an energy-booster. As Toni Golen of Harvard Medical School explains: “Exertion spurs your body to produce more mitochondria inside your muscle cells. Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of cells, because they create fuel out of glucose from the food you eat and oxygen from the air you breathe. Having more of them increases your body’s energy supply.”
Controls bodyweight
Well, obviously… But the point about excess weight is that it has such an outsize impact on joints. Experts calculate that every pound we carry translates into 4lbs of load-bearing pressure on our knees. Or, to put it another way, shedding 10lbs of bulk would remove 40lbs of pressure on a struggling joint. Getting to the right weight is actually one of the best things we can do for our knees.
Avoids the “deconditioning trap”
The big problem with exercise avoidance is that it encourages what therapists call the “Deconditioning Cycle”. We feel pain so… we move less… but moving less leads to weaker muscles… and less nutrition to the tissues… and worse sleep (among other things)… which increases pain… and makes it more difficult to exercise. A classic vicious circle. The answer, then, is to gently introduce and maintain exercise even when we don’t feel like it. Though of course that’s easier said than done.
Next steps?
With all that said, we shouldn’t be too harsh on ourselves. Knee pain can be horrible, and overwhelming. If you’re struggling with it right now, the last thing you need to add to your load is an exercise-related guilt trip. We’ll be talking more about tips for knee-pain management in an upcoming blog. But, for now, if there’s one simple takeaway, it’s to do what you can within the bounds of what feels comfortable. A very short walk is better than no walk at all. A gentle swim is likely to be better than a painful 2km run. Your knees will thank you for the exercise you can give them – but not for overdoing it.
Are you suffering from persistent knee pain? Or are you worried that the discomfort you’re feeling might be due to osteoarthritis? If so, it’s important to have it properly investigated. You can do that here in the clinic by booking an appointment with us. We’ll make sure you’re seen, examined and treated as soon as possible.
