Osteoarthritis - Does Exercise Have to Be Painful?

Everyone has heard the term "No Pain, No Gain" - but does this apply to knee exercises for osteoarthritis of the knee?

The simple answer is...........No!

The reason? Exercises are recommended to increase the strength of the muscles that cross the knee joint, the quadriceps and hamstrings. These muscles support the joint and more support generally means less pain. These muscles behave like any other in the body. If you use them regularly to the point of fatigue, the body recognizes that more strength is required and provides it. If you gradually do less activity, as in the case of arthritis, the body assumes you no longer need your previous level of strength and muscles become weaker.

When planning an exercise program to combat knee arthritis it is important to remember the goal: To do more activity than was previously the case.

This is why pain is the enemy. If you go out and exercise aggressively, it is likely your knee are going to complain......a lot. This is why so many people give up. They go too hard, too soon and end up barely able to walk for the next 3 days.The result......less activity than they normally would have done (plus a very unpleasant 3 days).

To be successful you need to be able to regularly exercise in the long term. You need to increase your overall level of activity. The best way to achieve this is to avoid pain. Because this is a complicated matter, the best advice is to consult a physical therapist who can assess your knees and  devise an exercise program suitable for your specific condition.