Would building your legs calm and reduce the development of osteoarthritis of the knee?
Yes, when the first signs of osteoarthritis appear, and even before, exercising the muscles of the legs, and in particular the largest of them, the quadriceps, can both reduce pain and prevent the destruction of the leg. cartilage at the knee.
Has this been scientifically proven?
Australian researchers have followed more than 170 people diagnosed with the onset of osteoarthritis of the knee. For each of these people, they measured the diameter of the quadriceps, and performed an imaging test which enabled them to assess the destruction of the cartilage. And finally, each of the patients assessed their degree of joint pain.
And so they found a link between the diameter of the quadriceps and the condition of the knee …
First, these researchers found that the larger the quadriceps, the less pain people with osteoarthritis of the knee feel in their joints. But that’s not all, they also noticed that the bigger the quadriceps, the less destruction of the cartilage at the level of the upper plateau of the tibia.
Does this happen over time?
Yes, because the study followed these people for more than four years. And they were able to verify after 2 years on MRI, that joint destruction was slowed down in those who had a more muscular quadriceps. And after four years, there was significantly less prosthesis fitting in these people than in others.
So, in case of osteoarthritis, you have to build your thighs!
This is also advice rheumatologists give when they diagnose osteoarthritis of the knee. They prescribe physiotherapy exercises that aim to strengthen the tone of the leg and increase the diameter of the quadriceps. But, be careful, you have understood it well, this does not mean lifting cast iron with your feet!
Is osteoarthritis of the knee a common problem?
It is rather rare in those under 40, but it becomes more common with age, especially in women after menopause. The risk of having this disease can be increased by being overweight, by professional or sports activities that cause microtrauma in the knee …
A final word, on the pain, is it the destruction of the cartilage that hurts?
No, in fact, the pain of osteoarthritis does not come from damaged cartilage, because it is not innervated. What happens is that fragments of the damaged cartilage break off in the joint cavity, like grains of sand. These grains of cartilage cause an immune defense reaction, in other words inflammation in the joint membrane, and that’s what hurts …
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