HAVE OSTEOARTHRITIS?! KEEP ON RUNNING!

Have you recently had a diagnosis of KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA)?

Now, I bet your mind is running away with you thinking what things should I STOP doing. How many of you are thinking about the things you should START? Or even the things that you currently do that you should definitely KEEP!

Well this study by Voinier and White (2022) provided us with an overview analysis of many studies that investigate the impact of daily activities such as walking, running and other recreational sports upon the progression of OA.

At Move4 we hear so many patients coming in with preconceived ideas of injury and the bodies reaction to the ageing process. The majority of people we speak to believe that the only way to reduce the speed of degeneration and reduce the impact of ageing caused by issues such as OA is to take things out of the equation, and limit their exposure.

Before doing this…..STOP

This authors conclude with the following statement –

‘We summarized the findings of 20 reviews and an additional 12 original studies. We found consistent evidence that common forms of PA (walking, running, and certain recreational sports) are not related to structural progression of knee OA, and can be safely recommended to patients with, or at risk, for knee OA.’

If you’d like to read the study in more detail then click here

Now what are the take home messages from this study, and this blog post

1. Walking, running and other widely accessible physical activities are NOT associated with an increased risk of OA, and should be an integral part of your approach to dealing with the issue.
2. A diagnosis of OA should be non limiting and initial consideration should be given to the things you can do, and NOT the things you should stop doing

Thanks for reading guys!