If you were diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, it’s not the end of the world.
Research* done in overweight adults over 55 years of age, with radiologically diagnosed Osteoarthritis and pain (4 out of 5 times we have Osteoarthritis of the knee and NO symptoms), who followed an intensive diet and exercise plan.
After 18 months, with 10% less body weight and better physical condition, participants had better knee function, 50% less pain, better quality of life plus less knee compressive force and reduced IL-6 blood levels (InterLeucine-6 is a factor of inflammation).
Many times, as patients, we feel that there is not much we can do to improve our symptoms, especially when there are radiological findings of degenerative lesions to which our symptoms are attributed.
And we place our hopes on a therapist out there and we either patiently await or immediately demand that someone heals us.
But even if we are in our second youth, overweight and with radiologically diagnosed osteoarthritis we can still become our own therapists. All we have to do is start taking action.
And take responsibility for our healing .
? Messier SP, et al. JAMA, 2013. Effects of intensive diet and exercise on knee joint loads, inflammation, and clinical outcomes among overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis: the IDEA randomized clinical trial