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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Simple Tips to Get Moving With Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis can be a real pain in the knee. We are seeing more and more clients in their mid 40's to 60's coming to us complaining of knee pain or even on the waiting list for total knee replacements because the cartilage has completely worn down.

They want to stay active, but knee pain limits their ability to walk, hike, bike, play golf or doother activities they enjoy including work.

Often the quadriceps (front of the thigh) are tight and weak compared to the hamstrings (back of the thighs). As well, with our clients we generally find an imbalance between the outer and inner quadriceps. Both of these problems misalign the petella and knee joint which results in wear and tear of the cartilage (joint cushion) in specific areas. Without this cushion the bones push into each other resulting in joint pain, weakness and instability.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that progresses over many years. Since, bones go where muscles pull it is necessary to re balance the strength and length of the muscles surrounding the knee, hip and ankle to get back to being active.

Stretching properly, on a daily basis combined with appropriate strength training exercises will gradually improve your ability to stand and walk for long periods time while reducing the frequency, intensity and duration of knee pain.

Here some basic guidelines:

Always let pain be your guide. Stop, if you are feeling pain in the joint DURING an exercise.
Some discomfort is ok. Delayed On Set Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is when you feel an ache in the muscle that lasts about 24-48 hours after you exercise. Any pain in the joint indicates that you probably over-did it.
Quadriceps to Hamstring Strength = 3:2, people with knee pain it is often reversed. Focus on gradually increasing quadriceps strength, while maintaining hamstring strength.
Limit the Range of Motion to Pain FREE when doing Leg Extensions, Hamstring Curls and Leg Presses, Lunges and other exercises using your lower-body. The most pressure on the joint is when your leg is straight and bent past 80 degrees.
Try low-impact cardiovascular activities such as snowshoeing, walking, elliptical, slow-moderate paced walking on gentle hills, swimming or aquatic exercise classes, cross-country skiing.
Add traction during each stretch. Traction opens the joint space instead of compressing it which wears it down and increases pain even more (think of a grinding coffee).
Reduce the amount of sugars in your diet to reduce inflammation.
Follow your Doctor's guidelines: Limitations are those you set yourself; restrictions are those the Doctor, Kinesiologist or Physiotherapist sets for you.
Follow your Doctor's guidelines when taking taking any prescription/non-prescription anti-inflammatory medication.
Use crushed ICE wrapped in a wet towel on the knee joint for 10-20 min to reduce inflammation.

Kinesiologists understand that the body is interconnected. What is going on the ankle and hip affect the knee. There are several phases to a knee rehabilitation program. To have your posture and movement patterns assessed contact Lifemoves today.

Labels: active rehabilitation, cross-country skiing, fascial stretch therapy, flexibility, injury management, joint pain, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, snowshoeing, stretch tips

Saturday, December 5, 2009

6 Ways to Stay Active Outside During Winter

Often during the winter many people become in-active or hibernate in the gym during the winter. From the mountains on the North Shore to the newly renovated skating rink in Robson Square and Richmond Oval Vancouver, to hiking on the trails, Vancouver offers many fantastic ways to keep moving while enjoying time with family and friends.

1. Cross Country Skiing is a full-body activity that combines aerobic endurance with muscular endurance. Choose from the low-impact more gentle classic technique or push yourself a little more by choosing to skate ski. Cypress Mountain has the lower-trails for beginners or make your way up to the top if you are more advanced and looking for more adventure. Enjoy a hot-chocolate or lunch at the rustic Hollyburn Lodge. (Yes, there are downhills!)

2. Snowshoeing: Explore Seymour, Grouse Mountain or Cypress Mountain on snowshoes. Get your heart pumping and legs stronger while working on your balance as you float across the snow. Go for a casual walk or join the Yeti Snowshoe Running Races (5km or 10km). Did you know the World Snowshoe Running Championships are coming in 2010?

3. Nordic Pole Walking: Easily head out your front-door with this low-impact activity and free activity. Using Nordic Poles gets your upper-body working, gives you more stability and raises your heart-rate. Add YakTraxs to your shoes for more grip on the ice and snow. Remember to point your poles behind you and into the ground to help propel you forward.

4. Ice Skating: As a young child in Saskatchewan I remember going ice skating on an outdoor rink sometime around Christmas with my parents. We can now do to this again in the refurbished GE ICE Plaza at Robson Square for Free it is open 9am to 9pm through the Olympics. Head to Richmond Oval and skate on the same ice that Olympians will use for Speed Skating. Skating is always good for a laugh and good memories.

5. Snowboarding:If you think Snowboarding is only for kids and teenagers think again. I know one 60 year old who took up snowboarding and had a great time his first time out. You don't have to be going through the half-pipe and turning tricks to enjoy yourself while working on your balance and co-ordination. Grouse will be open 24 hours during the Olympics and Seymour is honouring Cypress Mountain passes during this time.

6. Downhill Skiing: With several mountains available to us, downhill skiing seems to be a popular sport at any age. This one of the riskier winter sports, common injuries for downhill skiers are ACL, MCL, meniscus tears and even broken legs. Ski to your level and be aware of others around to avoid injuring yourself or someone else unintentionally. Downhill skiing is less aerobic than some of the other choices, but it certainly will help with hip, knee and core-strength. Keep your torso upright to limit stress on your lower-back. Cypress, Whistler, Blackcomb and Seymour are all great places to enjoy the glide of finding your edge.

Which to Choose?

Find an activity that you enjoy, you find a little challenging and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Invest in a lesson at the beginning of the day; then take what you learned out on the snow for the rest of the time. If, you are trying a new activity there are lots of places to rent equipment either on the mountains or at outdoor shops such as MEC.

What to Wear?

Even though Vancouver generally has mild winters remember to dress in layers and dress appropriately for the weather (it can be wet). Since, you are going to be moving and yes, sweating start with base layer of long-underwear that wicks away moisture and finish with outerwear that is light, wind-resistant, snow/water proof and breathable. We lose the most heat from our feet and head, so add a toque, gloves and warm socks to keep you completely warm. Have a set of dry clothes ready to change into when you finish, so you don't get cold.

What to Bring?

One lesson a I learned from competing in Biathlon is to bring a water-bottle with you filled with you warm or hot water, by the time you are ready to drink it will be cool instead of frozen. Also, bring snacks such as trail-mix to keep you fueled.

Lastly when heading into the great outdoors go with a friend or at the very least let someone know where you are heading.

Labels: cross-country skiing, outdoor sports, skating, snowboarding, snowshoeing, winter