Latest news with #kneeOA
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Four best exercises to strengthen your knees
Knee pain becomes increasingly common as we age, with osteoarthritis (OA) being one of the primary culprits. The statistics are striking: knee OA affects approximately 16 per cent of the global population aged 15 and over, increasing to nearly 23 per cent in those over 40. In the United States alone, an estimated 32.5 million adults are affected by knee osteoarthritis. The good news? Strengthening exercises can significantly improve knee health and manage arthritis symptoms. Research shows that exercise is the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in patients with osteoarthritis. Regular physical activity not only helps decrease joint pain but also enhances function and quality of life. Strengthening the muscles around your knee, using controlled movements that build strength without compromising joint health, is crucial for maintaining stability and reducing the load on your knees during daily activities. Strong muscles act as shock absorbers, protecting your joints from excessive stress and can potentially slow the progression of arthritis and other painful conditions. For optimal results, incorporate exercises that strengthen the knees by working the surrounding musculature at least twice a week. Each exercise should be performed in sets of 6-15 repetitions, with 2-3 sets per exercise. This frequency allows for adequate muscle strengthening while providing sufficient recovery time. This exercise strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, providing stability and support to the knee joint Stand a few feet in front of a bench or step, with one foot resting on the bench behind you. Keep your torso upright and lower your body by bending your front knee to about 90 degrees. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position. Keep your knee aligned with your toes and avoid letting it collapse inward. This exercise strengths the muscles around the knee joint, as well as the inner and outer thighs. With a wide stance and toes turned out, rest a barbell on your shoulders. Shift to one leg, bending the knee to around 90 degrees. Push through your heel to return to the starting position and repeat, then switch to the other knee. This exercise strengthens the hamstrings, glutes and stabilising muscles around the knee, improving balance and reducing the risk of injury. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and stand on the opposite leg. Hinge at the hips, lowering the dumbbell toward the floor while extending your free leg behind you. Keep your back flat and core engaged then return to the starting position by driving through your standing leg. Clamshells help strengthen the hip abductor muscles, improving hip stability and, in turn, preventing knee pain. Lie on your side with a resistance band placed just above the knees and your head resting on your lower arm. Bend your legs at 90 degrees with your legs stacked on top of each other evenly. Lift the top knee up, pushing against the resistance band, then lower back down. Repeat on the other side. Proper stretching is crucial for maintaining flexibility and preventing injury. Hold each stretch for up to 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times: The couch stretch targets the hip flexors and quadriceps, which are essential for knee stability and reducing strain on the joint. Stretching these muscles improves flexibility and helps alleviate tension that can pull on the knees. Kneel on the floor with one knee close to a wall or couch, placing the shin of the back leg against the wall or couch. Step the opposite foot forward into a lunge position. Keep your torso upright and gently push your hips forward to feel a stretch in the front of the back leg. The pigeon stretch opens the hips and stretches the glutes and piriformis deep within the buttocks, which can help reduce tension in the knees caused by tightness in these areas. Start in a plank position and bring one knee forward, placing it behind your hands with the shin angled across your body. Extend the opposite leg straight back, keeping your hips square to the floor. Lower your torso toward the ground for a deeper stretch. This stretch targets the inner thigh muscles (adductors), which play a key role in stabilising the knees during movement. Stretching these muscles can improve flexibility and reduce strain on the knee joint. Position yourself on all fours and take one foot out to your side. Keeping the long leg straight, start to sit back into the stretch. When you feel a good stretch in your inner thigh, pause and hold. If you have a knee injury, follow these guidelines: Apply the RICE principle (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) Avoid high-impact activities Consult a healthcare professional before starting exercises Use NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or paracetamol for pain management as recommended Modify activities to avoid aggravating the injury Consider physical therapy for proper guidance and rehabilitation Yes, research consistently shows that strengthening exercises can significantly reduce knee pain and improve function. Strong muscles around the knee provide better joint support, reducing stress on the joint structures. Just remember to start slow and progress gradually with any exercise programme. The key to successful knee strengthening is consistency and proper form, rather than intensity or speed of progression. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Medscape
06-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Year-Long Methotrexate Not Helpful for Inflammatory Knee OA
Compared with placebo, low-dose methotrexate administered weekly at doses up to 15 mg for 52 weeks did not relieve knee pain or reduce the size of effusion-synovitis in patients with inflammatory knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODOLOGY: Researchers in China conducted a multicenter, clinical trial between July 2019 and January 2023 to examine whether low-dose methotrexate can reduce knee pain and effusion-synovitis in knee OA. They included 215 patients (mean age, 60.6 years; 89% women) with inflammatory knee OA and effusion-synovitis who were randomly assigned to receive either methotrexate or placebo, with weekly 5 mg folic acid supplementation given 1 day after treatment. Participants continued their regular medications (except corticosteroids and anti-synovitis drugs), did not take trimethoprim, and avoided alcohol during the trial. Primary outcomes were changes in knee pain on the visual analog scale (VAS) and inflammation measured by the effusion-synovitis maximal area on MRI over 52 weeks. Secondary outcomes were assessment of pain, stiffness, and physical function; changes in infrapatellar fat pad signal intensity; and evaluation of response to the assigned treatment. TAKEAWAY: At week 52, no significant difference was found between methotrexate and placebo groups in terms of VAS pain and effusion-synovitis maximal area (between-group difference, 0.3 mm; 95% CI, -6.7 to 7.3 mm and 0.1 cm 2 ; 95% CI, -0.8 to 1.0 cm 2 , respectively). ; 95% CI, -0.8 to 1.0 cm , respectively). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of any of the prespecified secondary outcomes. The frequency of experiencing at least one adverse event was comparable between the methotrexate and placebo groups (29.6% and 24.3%, respectively); however, elevated concentrations of liver enzymes were more common in the methotrexate group. IN PRACTICE: 'Given the lack of efficacy of MTX [methotrexate] across knee OA studies and the known potential adverse events, it is not recommended for the treatment of painful, inflammatory knee OA. We now need to focus our attention on treatments that can both inhibit joint inflammation and stimulate chondrocytes within the cartilage to synthesize replacement matrix. The future of pharmaceuticals for knee OA needs to move past MTX,' Nancy E. Lane, MD, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, California, wrote in an accompanying editorial. SOURCE: This study was led by Zhaohua Zhu, PhD, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. It was published online on June 2, 2025, in JAMA Internal Medicine . LIMITATIONS: This study was conducted during COVID-19 shutdowns, which delayed recruitment and potentially increased loss to follow-up and nonadherence rates. The findings may not be fully generalizable because most participants were women, and racial and ethnic diversity was limited. The relatively small number of participants in each subgroup may have limited the ability to detect significant benefits in specific populations. DISCLOSURES: This study received funding from the National Key Research and Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Clinical Research Startup Program of Southern Medical University. One author reported providing consulting advice on scientific advisory boards for various pharmaceutical companies outside the submitted work.
