Arthritis Knees and Building Muscle in the Quadriceps
Posted by: Mariam / Category: arthritis help, arthritis kneesHello, this is Julieanne here. I contracted osteo-arthritis in my knees ( arthritis knees )after a motorbike accident 30 years ago. After a few years of suffering, I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon who did some minor surgery which helped. However, what helped more than the surgery, was the physiotherapy he recommended.
I visited with the physiotherapist in a gymnasium (or fitness centre as they’re sometimes called), and he showed me some exercises to increase my quadricep muscles (muscles that run along the front part of the thigh), and also to increase the strength in all my leg muscles. I started off with very low weights and low repetition. After I’d learned what exercises to do, the physio said to become a member of a gym and to lift weights regularly. He said that I could do a few months of regular (2-3 times a week), to build up the muscles, then have a break for a few months.
Since those visits to the physio (about 25 years ago), I’ve been going to the gym regularly. Sometimes when I travel, I can’t always get to the gym, and I usually notice my knees starting to ache. When I get home, I go back to the gym, and they feel better again. So, the weight lifting, along with some other arthritis help keeps the inflammation in my knees away. Most of the time, I hardly know I have arthritis in my knees.
Mayo Clinic and Boston University researchers also say people with knee osteoarthritis seem to have less pain and less cartilage loss if they have stronger quadriceps muscles.
I hope that if you have arthritis in your knees, you will do some weight lifting also, and find out how much this helps. As always, consult your doctor first, and ask for a recommendation to visit a physiotherapist.