Not so long ago, it was rather rejected or at least controversial to do sports with an existing knee arthrosis. After the diagnosis of osteoarthritis, patients used to be given a general ban on sports by doctors. In the meantime, however, it is now believed that a special sports and strengthening program can have a positive effect on the pain and the course of knee arthrosis and is therefore highly recommended for those affected. There are various studies that prove that exercise is an important part of the therapy for knee osteoarthritis in patients with osteoarthritis. Of course, this does not apply to all sports and exercises, which is why an individual plan is best worked out with a doctor or physiotherapist.
Knee friendly vs. knee damaging sports
Various sports that are considered knee friendly can also be practiced at home. These include swimming, (crawling) or cycling. Sports should be avoided where there is a risk that the joints will be strained very unilaterally (for example, squash or tennis), twisted (skiing or soccer) or which involve an increased risk of falling (such as riding).
Before practising all these sports, it is advisable for patients with knee arthrosis to consult a physiotherapist beforehand to determine whether it is advisable to wear insoles in shoes during sports. Avoid sports where there is a risk that the joints will be strained very unilaterally (for example, squash or tennis), twisted (skiing or soccer), or which involve an increased risk of falling (such as riding). Before practising all these sports, it is advisable for patients with knee arthrosis to consult a physiotherapist beforehand to determine whether it is advisable to wear insoles in shoes during sports.
Sport as therapy for knee arthrosis
It is important for two different reasons that patients with knee arthrosis engage in sports. Many affected persons resort to a knee bandage during sports. Numerous manufacturers offer the full range of supporting and stabilizing bandages.
However, individual decisions for or against a knee support should always be made in consultation with the treating physician and the physiotherapist. In principle, knee supports can have a positive effect on knee osteoarthritis and give patients a feeling of security during sports. However, it cannot “work miracles” and must not lead to overloading of the knee joint.
Well-fitting knee supports stabilize the muscular guidance of the knee joint and relieve the joint space. Some models, for example, prevent painful hyperextension of the knee, while others prevent the knee from involuntarily giving way during sports. When choosing a knee support in a medical supply store, care should be taken to ensure a comfortable fit.
Ideally, it supports the joint, but without being too tight. The blood flow must be maintained in all movements! It is not just that a lack of sporting activity has a negative effect on the course of pre-existing knee arthrosis.
Those who exercise regularly also reduce the likelihood of developing this clinical picture from the outset. Primary osteoarthritis (which, in contrast to secondary osteoarthritis, occurs without a precisely identifiable cause) is often the result of an imbalance between the load on the joint and its ability to bear weight. This imbalance is often due to the fact that a patient is overweight: This leads to increased stress on the joint and at the same time, due to a lack of exercise, the appropriate musculature is often missing to adequately counteract this increased stress.
- On the one hand, certain exercises in sports help to relieve pain, build up muscles and thus relieve the joint and regain more confidence when walking and standing (see: Strengthening exercises for knee arthrosis).
- On the other hand, long-term immobilization of the knee joint means that the synovial fluid (a fluid that is located inside the joint) can no longer distribute itself adequately. Since it is responsible for supplying the cartilage of the joint with nutrients, its absence leads to a reduced supply and thus to a slower healing of areas that are inflamed in the context of knee arthrosis.In addition, the synovial fluid naturally also reduces friction between the bones involved and thus the wear reaction.
