Benefits of walking for osteoarthritis of the knee joint
It would seem, why should you “torture” your legs with walking if they are already affected by osteoarthritis. Common sense suggests that, on the contrary, you should try to take care of them. And yet, there are many studies showing that moderate and regular walking improves the condition of patients with arthrosis (osteoarthritis) of the knee joints.
One of the types of such walking is Nordic walking. We will not describe what Nordic walking is in this article, since I believe many people know about it. If necessary, information about this Walk is well covered on the Internet. What effects were obtained when using Nordic walking. Here they are:
- reduction of pain in the affected joint,
- reduction of stiffness when walking in the affected joint,
- improvement of the range of motion in the affected joint,
- reduction of spasms in the muscles surrounding the affected joint.
- also this walking has a general strengthening effect on the whole body.
What can be the cause of the health effects of Nordic walking on the manifestations of osteoarthritis of the knee joints? Here we can highlight two qualities of this walking: moderate impact on joints and regularity. Osteoarthritis is considered as a degenerative disease, where articular cartilage is primarily destroyed. The main phenomena that lead to the destruction of cartilage in osteoarthritis are: a) changes in the articular (more precisely: synovial fluid): with age, the amount and qualitative composition of the synovial fluid changes. If less synovial fluid is produced, then the articular cartilage is worse lubricated; If the qualitative composition of the synovial fluid changes, then the articular cartilage may not receive the necessary substances. b) an imbalance in the processes of “destruction and restoration”. This is clearly visible in athletes. In sports, knee joints are often subjected to excessive loads. And at the same time, the joints are not given the opportunity to recover. c) morphological and functional changes in the soft tissues of the joint itself and surrounding the joint. For example, spasmodic muscles that serve the knee joint can become fibrotic over time, which in turn worsens the blood circulation of the joint. That is, morphological changes in the joint tissues themselves lead to a feeling of stiffness in it, as well as a deterioration in the amplitude of movement in the joint. And spasmodic muscles around the joint can cause pain in the joint itself. So, Nordic walking, with its previously mentioned properties, improves the condition of a joint affected by arthrosis. Moderate walking eliminates excessive load on the joint; at the same time, the production of synovial fluid improves. Regular walking helps train the joint and restore the articular cartilage. So, we recommend that patients with osteoarthritis take up Nordic walking.