Arthritis is one of the most common problems in old age. It is caused by a degeneration of the cartilage that forms a cushioning layer between the bones of the knee joint. The most common kind of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is basically the degeneration of the knee due to wear and tear and/or damage to the joint. The other kind is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disorder where the body's own immune system attacks the joints of the knee thus damaging it.
Whichever kind of arthritis it is you have, exercise and physiotherapy is part of the management protocol for the disease. For long, doctors were of the opinion that since arthritis itself was a degeneration of the knee joint, resting the knee was the best solution for it. Research has however showed otherwise. It has now been proved conclusively that exercise for arthritis in knee is the best option. Even though the knee joint is already damaged, exercise ensures that the muscles and ligaments that support the joint are kept strong. This, in turn, ensures that the load on the joint is much less than if the muscles were weak.
Exercise also ensures that the synovial fluid that fills the space between the bones helping to cushion it even more, replenishes more often. Since the cartilage does not have any blood vessels, it relies completely on the synovial fluid for sustenance. Regular exercise may therefore help to regenerate cartilaginous tissue, although cartilage is a very slow growing tissue and re-growing cartilage is very difficult.
The amount and kind of exercise a person does depends on the extent of the damage to the knee joint. Arthritis in the knee is categorized into four grades, with grade 0 being a completely healthy cartilage as found in teenagers and adolescents and grade 4 being the worst with a large portion of the cartilage worn away.
Most doctors recommend low impact exercises such as walking, cycling or swimming as exercises for arthritis. This is because low impact exercises do not put much load on the knee joint, while still being good enough to strengthen the muscles of the joint. Out of all these, water exercises are the best form of exercise because it puts the lowest amount of load on the knee joint.
In fact, many people favor low impact exercises such as walking or the stair-climber because high impact exercises are thought to be a causative factor for arthritis. This belief has become so ingrained in people that it has almost become fact. Yet, statistical analysis show otherwise. For example, studies show that people who did high impact exercises such as jogging and running did not have a greater chance of getting arthritis than those who did swimming. Also, it was found that even overweight people who were active had a much lower chance of getting arthritis than people who were inactive. Another study in Australia showed that people who trained with weights had the thickest and strongest knee cartilage.
Yoga exercises are particularly good for people with arthritis because of the way it is done. None of the exercises are particularly high impact, but they ensure that the muscles get strong and toned. Also yoga ensures that the circulation improves, and some poses are specific to different joints ensuring that you are bringing fresh blood and/or synovial fluid to the part. Over time, people who do yoga find that the pain is much reduced and their range of motion much improved. They may even be able to perform any and all daily activities without any problem.
Any exercise is therefore good for you, and there are no specific exercises to avoid. The only criterion therefore is whether your knee can take it. Depending on what grade of arthritis you have been diagnosed with, your doctor may recommend slow and gentle exercises in the beginning.
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