Walking as it is as effective as drugs to relieve knee pain

A study shows that a simple adjustment can effectively relieve knee pain. Furthermore, slow down the degradation of cartilage, an osteoarthritis factor. Meanwhile,

Arthrosis, a degenerative joint disease, affects many adults around the world and is one of the main causes of disability. However, Its causes are known: it occurs when the cartilage which damages the ends of the bones. Furthermore, causing pain, stiffness and reduced mobility. Similarly, Currently. Therefore, there is no way to reverse these damage, the treatment is largely limited to pain management by medication and, in the long term, to replace the joint.

However, researchers from the University of Utah claim that a little daily habit could offer a non -pharmacological walking it effective drugs relieve alternative. Meanwhile, During a one -year clinical trial. For example, they found that small adjustments of the angle of the foot during walking gave relief of the pain equivalent to that of drugs.

The study. published in The Lancet Rheumatology, also showed that the recovery of the approach reduced the degradation of knee cartilage. “We knew that for people with osteoarthritis. higher loads in their knees accelerate progression and that changing the angle of the foot can reduce the load of the knee,” said Dr. Scott Uhlrich, one of the study authors. “The idea of ​​a biomechanical intervention is therefore not new. but there have been no randomized and controlled studies by placebo to show that they are effective.”

Researchers focused on patients with light to moderate osteoarthritis in the medial knee compartment. the internal side of the joint, which generally supports walking it effective drugs relieve more weight than the external lateral compartment. For this form of the disease. the optimal angle of the foot making it possible to reduce stress on the medial compartment varies from one person to another, according to its natural approach and the way it changes when it adopts the new walking scheme.

After a year, the participants reported their knee pain and suffered a second MRI to quantitatively assess damage to cartilage. Those of the intervention group felt less pain. presented a degradation of the cartilage less important than those of the control group.

“With the MRIs. we also observed a slower degradation of a marker of cartilage health in the intervention group, which was quite interesting,” said Dr. Uhlrich. “The decrease in pain reported compared to the placebo group was between what could be expected of an over -the -counter medication. like ibuprofen, and a narcotic, like oxycontin.” What walking it effective drugs relieve ensure equivalent efficiency therefore for common treatments.

According to scientists. one of the main advantages of this method is the possibility for participants to follow him long periods. “Especially for people in the thirties. forty or fifties, osteoarthritis could mean decades of pain management before they are recommended for joint replacement,” said Dr. Uhrlich. “This discovery could help fill this important treatment gap.”