Walking to prevent daily knee pain

Walking for exercise is beneficial to overall health, can be done by almost anyone, anytime and for free, and has no or minimal side effects. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, Texas, have found walking can also reduce the chances of frequent knee pain among people aged 50 and older, particularly those diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis.

Findings from a recent BCM study further indicate that walking may be effective at slowing or reducing the damage that occurs when the knee joint wears down due to osteoarthritis.

According to data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a multiyear observational study, participants who reported walking as a form of exercise had 40% decreased odds of new, frequent knee pain compared to non-walkers. Participants had self-reported the amount of time and frequency they walked for exercise – those who reported 10 or more instances of exercise from the age of 50 years or later were classified as “walkers” and those who reported less were classified as “non-walkers.”

Dr. Grace Hsiao-Wei Lo, Assistant professor of Immunology, Allergy, and Rheumatology at BCM, said the findings were “useful for people who have radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis but don’t have pain every day in their knees.”

Dr. Lo said that walking for exercise has added health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health and decreased risk of obesity, diabetes and some cancers, the driving reasons behind baseline recommendations for physical activity.

“People diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis should walk for exercise, particularly if they do not have daily knee pain. If you already have daily knee pain, there still might be a benefit, especially if you have the kind of arthritis where your knees are bow-legged,” advised Dr. Lo.

Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies