Knee diagnosis prompts lifestyle efforts

Tuesday March 30th, 2010

People with knee problems who make rapid changes to their lifestyle can enjoy improvements, researchers reported last night.

Exercise, activity and even natural medicine products all contributed to changes that patients made after diagnosis, doctors reported.

The Canadian doctors report that as many as 75 per cent of patients may attempt to boost their exercise levels after learning they have osteoarthritis of the knee.

Most report it helps to ease the condition, according to the study reported in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

The researchers used pharmacists in the Vancouver area of British Columbia to identify patients with knee problems. They found 190 people, mostly women in their 60s.

About a third turned to remedies such as acupuncture, knee braces and shoe inserts. Almost all eventually went to see a doctor.

Researcher Dr Carlo Marra, from the University of British Columbia, said: "It is encouraging that participants initiated exercise regimens within six months of their diagnosis, but surprising that so few credited a health professional with the decision to become more active.

"This observation is an important consideration for the development of arthritis management programs that target early disease management and initiation of appropriate analgesic therapy."

After Patients Are Diagnosed With Knee Osteoarthritis, What Do They Do - Kelly Grindrod, Carlo Marra, Lindsey Colley, Jolanda Cibere, Ross Tsuyuki, John Esdaile, Louise Gastonguay, and Jacek Kopec. Arthritis Care and Research; Published Online: March 30, 2010 (DOI: 10.1002/acr.20170); Print Issue Date: April 2010.

Tags: Fitness | North America | Rheumatology

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