A Simple Way to Avoid Knee Surgery?

A new focus on osteoarthritis suggests a simple change that might help people avoid or delay knee replacement surgery. 

 

The science behind this study is actually pretty simple. Researchers have long known that extra weight on the knees can exacerbate knee pain. They have also known that the angle at which the foot hits the ground while walking can help to minimize the amount of weight that the knee has to handle as people take steps forward. The working theory going into this study was that making changes to the angle of foot strike during walking can help to reduce the weight load on the knee, and thus reduce some of the pain that is experienced.

 

The study took a large sample of individuals and looked at the issues that each of these individuals had regarding osteoarthritis. In the past, studies have used the same intervention for each participant. This has not been an accurate way of measuring the efficacy of an intervention because each person’s arthritis is a little different. The same change in two people could yield a positive result for one person, but see deterioration in another. By customizing the intervention, researchers were better able to approach this study.

 

For the participants that were not part of the placebo group, there was a six week training period. After that, participants were urged to practice their new gait for at least 20 minutes a day. After a year, participants had a second MRI and were assessed for pain. They saw a noticeable decrease in the pain that was experienced and MRIs indicated that the deterioration of the knee joints had slowed down.

 

 

This is certainly not an alternative to knee replacement surgery, but it might present a way to delay the need for it immediately in some cases.

 

This research comes from the University of Utah. They published their findings in the journal, The Lancet Rheumatology. It’s the first placebo controlled study to look at biomechanical impact on osteoarthritis. Hopefully, this research helps those suffering from arthritic pain to live better lives with less discomfort.

Having the right team on your side is an essential component of living a better life. Whether it’s a medical doctor, a counselor, or a senior care service, all parts of your life should be working together to help ensure you have the resources needed to thrive.

 

Senior care is designed to help improve the quality of life that people experience as they age. Moving around in a pain-free manner is just a small part of this. If you have questions about how senior care can help improve the quality of life that you and your loved ones have, we’re happy to talk more with you. 

 

We offer in-home care senior services, but we do so much more than this, too. The best way to learn about what we do here at Paradise In-Home Care is to call and schedule a free consultation session. We can answer your questions, go over your unique situation, and help get you steered toward the resources that will help your family specifically. 

 

Call today to get started.