The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Healthcare Providers Should Encourage Exercise for OA Patients

Healthcare Providers Should Encourage Exercise for OA Patients

May 23, 2018 • By Lara C. Pullen, PhD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Exercise benefits most people, most of the time. Unfortunately, patients with chronic hip and/or knee pain from osteoarthritis (OA) may be reluctant to exercise. This reluctance could be because they do not understand the cause of their pain and/or are confused by its variability and randomness. Patients’ beliefs about chronic pain can shape their attitudes toward how they manage pain. Thus, patients with OA may be particularly dependent on their healthcare providers to tell them what types of exercise they should and should not do. Absent such expert information and advice, patients may fear they will harm their painful tissue and, therefore, avoid activity.

You Might Also Like
  • Weight-Bearing Exercise Eases Knee Osteoarthritis, Temporarily
  • Exercise Helps Manage Hip Osteoarthritis Pain
  • Hip Exercises May Improve Walking, Pain with Knee Arthritis
Also By This Author
  • Upper Limb Exercise May Improve Quality of Life for Lupus Patients

The breakdown of bone and cartilage associated with arthritis and the consequent pain and stiffness not only discourages exercise, but also acts as a common cause of physical disability, anxiety, depression, poor quality of life and the feeling that the patient is a burden to loved ones. All of these experiences should respond positively to exercise. A recent Cochrane Library Systematic Review  by Michael Hurley, PhD, professor of rehabilitation sciences at the University of London, U.K., and colleagues sought to understand the documented relationship between exercise and pain, movement ability and psychological issues. They found participation in exercise programs may slightly improve physical function, depression and pain in these patients.1

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The researchers reviewed the effect of exercise on physical, emotional and mental health in individuals with chronic knee or hip joint pain from OA. They found 21 studies that addressed the topic published before March 2016. The studies included 2,372 men and women aged 45 years or older from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia. They evaluated exercise performed in clinical settings, the home and/or recreational facilities. The authors focused on studies that evaluated patients with pain and stiffness in the knee, hip or both, and their response to exercise. The studies considered pain, movement or both, as well as psychological and social outcomes. The quality of the evidence was generally moderate.

The systemic review confirmed that individuals who exercised for 45 weeks rated their pain 1.2 points lower on a scale of 0–20 when compared with those who did not exercise—an improvement of 6%. Physical function improved by about 5% over 41 weeks of exercise. Additionally, people’s confidence in what they could do increased by 2% after 35 weeks of exercise. With regard to mental health, people who exercised were 2% less depressed. Overall, the studies indicate that exercise may slightly improve self-efficacy and social function. However, exercise is unlikely to improve anxiety in patients with OA.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions, Osteoarthritis Tagged With: Exercise, Exercise/physical therapy, hip, hip pain, knee, Knee Osteoarthritis (OA), knee pain, osteoarthritis (OA)

You Might Also Like:
  • Weight-Bearing Exercise Eases Knee Osteoarthritis, Temporarily
  • Exercise Helps Manage Hip Osteoarthritis Pain
  • Hip Exercises May Improve Walking, Pain with Knee Arthritis
  • Exercise Therapy May Take the ‘Tired’ Out of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)