Osteoarthritis Prevention and Management

Programs to Prevent and Manage Osteoarthritis

What is Osteoarthritis? 

Osteoarthritis is a painful lifelong joint disease that changes the structure of articular cartilage and causes it to break down and wear away over time. 

Articular cartilage is the connective tissue that covers the ends of our bones and provides protection, shock absorption, and reduces friction in joints. When the cartilage begins to thin, inflammation and associated pain occurs to the surrounding joint capsule, underlying bone, ligaments and muscles. Swelling and decreased joint flexibility also occurs and in its progressed stages can also cause bone spurs.

Over 2 million Australians have knee and hip Osteoarthritis with 1.5 million consultations at the GP each year.

Signs and Symptoms

The main signs and symptoms of Osteoarthritis include:

  • Pain with weight bearing 

  • Stiffness, particularly in the morning  

  • Reduced range of movement available 

  • Red hot and swollen joints 

Osteoarthritis usually begins in one joint with symptoms developing slowly and may stop completely. The experience will vary from person to person. 

Risk Factors 

There are numerous risk factors for the development and or worsening pain and disability of osteoarthritis:

Non-modifiable risk factort

  • Age: Becomes more frequent with age

  • Sex: Women often experience hand and knee OA while men experience more hip OA

  • Hereditary: If one or both parents have OA the risk of the child developing it as an adult increases. 


Modifiable risk factors:

  • Being overweight 

  • Muscle weakness

  • Fatigue and being inactive 

  • Poor sleep

  • Stress, depression, and feeling isolated 

  • Fear of damage and lack of joint confidence

  • Other negative beliefs and mood 


Prevention in Development and Management of Osteoarthritis:  

It is essential to understand the possible causes of OA, what can be done about it and how to self-manage as it is a lifelong disease.

Though Osteoarthritis may not be fully preventable,  there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce the likelihood of developing OA and manage the disease with effective pain relief and reduction in rate of progression.  

Exercise is Medicine

Exercise has the most benefit of any available treatment in the management of osteoarthritis

  • Walking and strength training are effective for pain relief, muscle growth, bone density and cardiovascular fitness. 

  • Neuromuscular exercise is effective for pain relief and targets the joint to improve stability and joint confidence

  • Cartilage needs to be loaded appropriately to be healthy! 

  • Exercise helps to improve joint range of motion and helps you move better 

  • Excessive inactivity is usually worse than activity! 

Nutrition and Weight Management

Weight management is hard but can help a lot! With normal walking the knee joint is loaded with at least 2-3x your body weight with each step: 

  • Being overweight increases the risk of the cartilage and joints becoming overloaded

  • A relatively small reduction in weight has a big effect on joint load

  • For every kilogram you lose, the load is reduced by at least 2-3 times!

  • Improved diet and exercise used to reduce weight is also likely to be beneficial to your pain due to improved general health

How Can We Help?

GLA:D Program

The GLA:D program is designed to aid those who have knee and hip osteoarthritis. It was developed in Denmark as an educational tool to help individuals learn how to self-manage their disease long term. Our clinicians are certified and trained to deliver this 6-week program.

Check out our October 2023 newsletter for more information about GLA:D
https://www.thealliedhealthteam.com.au/newsletters

And the GLA:D website for further support and understanding about hip and knee Osteoarthritis!  https://gladaustralia.com.au/ 

Exercise Physiology:

Seeing an Exercise Physiologist can help you by:

  • Understanding your health condition and provide you with personalised exercise prescription

  • Provide education and help with lifestyle change and behaviour 

  • Facilitate alongside you with corrective exercises and movement 

  • Provide knowledge and understanding about frequency and intensity of exercise and how it can benefit your bodily health

Dietetics:

Seeing a Dietician can help you by: 

  • Aiding you with dietary changes for appropriate weight management 

  • Providing education around food groups and essential minerals and vitamins that someone with Osteoarthritis may need to consider in their diet. 

  • Providing advice on what foods to focus on in relation to healthy guidelines and how to implement these changes in your life. 

To start making positive changes to your joints, book a time with us via our online booking portal or give us a call on 1300 AH TEAM

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