Osteoarthritis and Obesity

This blog is a request of my Aunt who asked if I could post anything relating to obesity and extra wear and tear on the the joints (aka osteoarthritis). It’s considered common knowledge in medicine that obesity increases the risk for arthritis, and I hear my physical therapy patients frequently say that their knees or … Read more

Muscle Strength Protective Against Arthritis

The role of muscles in joint degeneration and osteoarthritis. J Biomech. 2007;40 Suppl 1:S54-63. Epub 2007 Apr 16. Herzog W1, Longino D. AbstractThe purpose of this work was to establish a controlled and reversible muscle weakness model for studying the effects of weakness on joint degeneration leading to osteoarthritis (OA). The knee extensor muscles of … Read more

Central Sensitization and Chronic Pain

Central sensitization: implications for the diagnosis and treatment of pain. Pain. 2011 Mar;152(3 Suppl):S2-15. Woolf CJ. [FREE FULL TEXT] AbstractNociceptor inputs can trigger a prolonged but reversible increase in the excitability and synaptic efficacy of neurons in central nociceptive pathways, the phenomenon of central sensitization. Central sensitization manifests as pain hypersensitivity, particularly dynamic tactile allodynia, secondary … Read more

Without Aggressive Rehabilitation Function Usually Diminished 1 Year Post-Op after Total Knee Replacement

Physical impairments and functional limitations: a comparison of individuals 1 year after total knee arthroplasty with control subjects. Physical Therapy. 1998 Mar;78(3):248-58. From the study: SUBJECTS:Twenty-nine individuals 1 year following TKA (13 women, 16 men) and 40 age- and gender-matched control subjects (18 women, 22 men) were assessed.METHODS:Walking speed, stair-climbing ability, knee torque (in newton-meters), … Read more

Electric Stimulation Increases Strength and Decreases Pain in Patients with Osteoarthritis

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) reduces structural and functional losses of quadriceps muscle and improves health status in patients with knee osteoarthritis. J Orthop Res. 2013 Apr;31(4):511-6. From the study: “OA patients presented smaller vastus lateralis thickness (11.9 mm) and fascicle length (20.5%) than healthy subjects (14.1 mm; 24.5%), and also had a 23% smaller knee … Read more