Tips to Reduce Osteoarthritis Pain

​Osteoarthritis, commonly referred to as OA, is the most common form of arthritis, afflicting nearly 1 in 6 Canadians. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the knees or hips, but can also affect other parts of the body such as the wrists, shoulder, toes, low back, and the neck.
Unfortunately, there is no cure to OA. However, there are many ways to minimize symptoms and regain full functionality. Further, there are many things to be done in order to slow the progression of osteoarthritis in our bodies.
Two of the best ways to deal with OA are as follows:

1. Weight loss - simply put, every extra pound of weight that you carry puts extra pressure on our joints, especially in our backs, hips, knees, and feet. To put this into perspective, research has calculated that every pound carried translates to four pounds of pressure in our knees. Meaning, 10 lbs of weight loss translated to 40 lbs of pressure reduced from the knee joints. There are of course many ways to tackle weight loss, such as dieting, and increased activity levels. Luckily, the latter of these two also lead us to our next strategy.
2. Exercise! Of course, exercise is a great way to lose weight and therefor reduce pressure on our joints. However, exercise also has other positive effects on decreasing OA pain. By targeting specific muscles that stabilize the afflicted joints, pain caused by OA can be drastically reduced. This is especially helpful and important for joints that are not subject to body weight changes such as our necks, shoulders, and hands. If you’re interested in developing an exercise plan for you OA symptoms, meet with your physiotherapist and have a program tailored to you. Note that these effects are not instantaneous but will build over time.

These two strategies have repeatedly been found to produce great results, especially when combined. Interested in learning more? Meet with one of our physiotherapists to discuss what strategies could help you reduce your pain caused by osteoarthritis and get back to doing what you love free from pain and hesitation.