There are different types of arthritis, in this blog post I am specifically relating to osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis which primarily affects the hip and knee joints.

Osteoarthritis typically causes:

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Reduced movement of the joint
• Reduced function which may affect day-to-day activities.

The National Institute for Healthcare & Excellence advise that osteoarthritis can be diagnosed clinically without an X-ray if the individual:

• is over 45,
• has activity-related joint pain and
• Has no morning joint-related stiffness.

Structural changes on X-rays do not always correlate with the severity of pain the individual feels; for example, minimal changes on a scan may be associated with severe pain or the individual may experience very mild pain yet display modest changes on an x-ray.

Myths:

The most common myth about arthritis is that it is a normal process of ageing and gets worse as you get older - this is not true!

Treatment:

There are effective strategies that can improve pain and function for those with arthritis. The National Institute of Healthcare & Excellence advises all treatment plans for arthritis must include exercise. It is recommended for all ages and all pain levels. The exercises should include:

• Local muscle strengthening (e.g. pilates, weighted exercises)
• Aerobic exercise (e.g. walking, swimming, cycling)
• Stretching (e.g. pilates, yoga, home exercise programme)

Recent Cochrane systematic reviews (the highest level of evidence) found that exercise reduces pain and improves function in individuals with hip and knee arthritis.

Take home message: Exercise is the core recommendation for the management of arthritis.

Information based on:

Fransen, M., McConnell, S., Hernandez‐Molina, G., Reichenbach, S. (2014). Exercise for osteoarthritis of the hip. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD007912.

Fransen, M., McConnell, S., Harmer, AR., Van der Esch, M., Simic, M., Bennell, KL. (2015). Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004376.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2014, reviewed 2017). Osteoarthritis: care and management. Clinical Guideline CG177.