If you have arthritis in the knee, you may have been told that walking isn’t something you should do. However, recent research shows that this may not be true. A 2009 study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one such piece of research, and this study concluded that walking was beneficial for knee arthritis patients. If you’re considering walking with your knee arthritis, there are three benefits of it that may help get you up off the couch.
1. Increases flexibility
Walking is an exercise that can help increase joint flexibility, and this can be helpful for patients with arthritis in the knee. Many arthritis patients tend to try to hold their knee as still as possible, but this can actually decrease joint flexibility and increase your pain. Walking is a great way to counter low flexibility because it moves the knee joint through its entire range of motion.
2. Improves supporting muscle strength
Joints are supported and moved with muscles, and the knee joint is no exception. When people with arthritis in the knee don’t move their knee a lot, the muscles supporting the joint can become weak. This weakness can increase the stress movement places on your knee joint, which may lead to greater pain.
When you walk around, you’re directly fighting back against muscle weakness. It’s important not to overdo it when you first start out, but the more you walk, the more the strength of your knee-supporting muscles will increase. This can translate into better support for your knee and a decrease in the pain you feel.
3. Helps with weight control
Your weight has a direct influence on how much stress is placed on your knees. If you aren’t moving around because of arthritis in the knee, it can be harder to keep your weight from going up. However, strenuous exercises like running aren’t the only way to slim down. Walking every day can also be a good way to control your weight. In fact, it can help you decrease your weight and reduce the daily stress placed on your knee.
Come to Excel Sports & Physical Therapy for help with arthritis in the knee
At Excel Sports & Physical Therapy, you’ll find a highly experienced physical therapy team that’s ready to help treat your knee arthritis. We’ll start by performing a screening to determine how your arthritis is affecting your knee. We’ll then use this information to create a therapy plan that’s personalized to you, and this plan may include therapy techniques like:
Start getting the help you need for your arthritis pain today. Contact our team for more information or to schedule an appointment.