Osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the joints, causes swelling and stiffness, as well as pain. It also reduces range-of-motion. It is most common in the hands, knees and hips.
However, it can affect other joints as well.
Your doctor will probably have recommended that you exercise if your osteoarthritis has been diagnosed. In recent years, this has been a standard form of treatment.
A new study suggests that exercise may not be as good for you as previously thought.
When you look closely at the research, it is important to remain cautious. It shouldn’t make you stop exercising.
The review was a success
The team of researchers conducted a “umbrella” review – a summary and analysis of the results from various studies in order to address a particular question. The review of previously published systematic studies provides a broader view on a research topic.
They searched thousands of articles and included five systematic reviews, which comprised 100 studies with 8,631 participants, before adding 28 more recent studies (involving 4,360 additional patients).
They compared the effects of exercise to other alternatives such as doing nothing, fake treatments (placebos), education, manual therapies, painkillers and injections.
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What is the difference between rheumatoid and osteoarthritis?
What was found?
Comparing exercise to placebos and doing nothing, the researchers found that it resulted in a small reduction in hip, hand, and knee pain: 6-12 points out of 100.
Exercise did not appear to enhance function more than any of the comparisons.
Exercise was as effective as medications such as corticosteroids and ibuprofen, which can be injected directly into the joints to reduce inflammation, in reducing knee and hip arthritis.
They also decreased pain between 5-10%.
Researchers concluded that exercise is less effective than total joint replacements in improving function and pain for people suffering from knee or hip osteoarthritis.
What are the restrictions?
The authors first lumped together all forms of exercise. The authors grouped all types of exercise together, including strength training, aerobic exercises, stretching, aquatic exercise, and Tai chi.
It is important to note that not all exercises are created equally. In previous reviews, it was shown that stretching is the least effective for people suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
The authors also did not consider the clinical condition of patients. There is evidence that people who have more pain or worse functioning at the beginning of an intervention respond better to exercise than others with less pain or good function.
The review also treated both unsupervised and supervised exercises the same.
Research shows that supervised training is much more effective than unsupervised, likely due to the trainer’s ability to push patients along.
The authors did not account for how long the exercises lasted, but most were only 12 weeks.
If you stick to a regular exercise routine over time, it’s more likely to produce better results.
This will allow for greater improvement than just doing something for a couple of weeks.
The results may not reflect accurately the benefits exercise has on people who have osteoarthritis, even if they commit to an exercise routine that is consistent and ongoing (which often comes recommended).
The review also did not take into account the amount of exercise that the research studies were using. The total amount of exercise that people with osteoarthritis do each week seems to be associated with improvements in their pain and functionality. According to one review, the best results were achieved with 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise.
This new study may undervalue the importance of exercising for osteoarthritis.
Pain relief and improved physical and mental well-being
Even if you ignore the review’s limitations, even small pain reductions can have an impact on someone’s life. The 10% pain reduction could have a significant impact on your ability to work, move about, interact with others, and socialise.
Exercise can also reduce pain as effectively as corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, without their side effects or costs.
Exercise improves heart health and mood. It can help you lose weight and lower your risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
The factors listed above can make a big difference in your happiness and health.
What do you need to do?
According to the results of this review, any form of exercise can lead to pain relief.
If you exercise regularly, you’re likely to get greater health benefits.
Exercise that is done regularly will be the best. Walking outdoors is a good choice if you like being outside. It will help improve your overall health and reduce pain.
If pain allows, you can sometimes challenge yourself to a point that it becomes difficult to hold a conversation.
Lifting weights can also have a positive impact on your health, especially if done regularly.
