Can too much exercise wear out your joints?
This article looks at whether too much exercise speeds up the arthritis process in joints. In particular, it looks at the opinions of Professor Patrick McNeil’s, a rheumatologist from Sydney’s perspective on the role of exercise in arthritis.
Here are some of the amazing facts:
- Exercise does not accelerate the break down of cartilage to cause arthritis in the long term. In fact, the opposite is more likely as exercise allows the joints to move and allows the normal flow of synovial fluid over the joints, which provides nutrients to the cartilage lining of the joint.
- Exercise is a major aspect we can control, which helps manage the function of the joints, despite arthritis, to help be able to maintain the more active lifestyle and reduce the need for surgery.
At MD Health, our staff encourage the balance between strength training to support the joints and the way the exercises are performed to reduce the risk of aggravating arthritis. Although we can’t “fix” the arthritis once the cartilage lining of the joint has broken down over time, we can manage all the things around the joint, such as the strength, movement and function of the joints to get the best use of the joints in the long term.
Even if you ultimately do need a joint replacement, the recovery and use of that joint in the long term after the replacement is dramatically better with a structured exercise program before and after the replacement surgery.
Want to know more?
If you want more information or would like to book for a FREE full body assessment with one of our Physiotherapists or Exercise Physiologists, call us on 9857 0644 or email us at admin@md-health.com.au
Can too much exercise wear out your joints?
Do you have creaky knees or ankles? Is getting out of bed each morning a struggle? Do you grimace when faced with a set of stairs?
Everyday movements can become a chore when the cartilage in your joints starts to break down, making them stiff and sore.
