In a new study published in the January 2010 edition of Arthritis Care & Research, researchers determined that physically inactive, middle-aged people were able to reduce the symptoms of their osteoarthritis after engaging in strength training and self-management programs.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, or OA, is a degenerative arthritis – or joint disease. OA is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting over 27 million people in the United States. It is also the second leading cause of disability and is positively correlated with aging. By age 65, roughly 80% of the population will have evidence of OA, however only 60% will show symptoms. OA is the most prevalent chronic condition among women, affecting between 35-45% of the gender by age 65.
Causes and Symptoms
Osteoarthritis results from the aging process – a loss of resilience in cartilage in major weight-bearing joints including hips and knees, as well as hands, feet and spine. Other causes related to OA include diabetes, inflammatory disease, obesity and congenital disorders. Symptoms of osteoarthritis include joint stiffness or pain, nodes on smaller joints and bunions on toes. OA is typically diagnosed through x-ray.
What is the Study?
The Multidimensional Intervention for the Early Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Knee Study) took place at the University of Arizona Arthritis Center in Tucson, AZ over the course of 24-months with 273 participants between the ages of 35-65 that reported pain and disability due to knee pain.
As sourced in the news release, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups. The strength training group engaged in a 9-month initial phase designed to improve the core areas of stretching and balance, range of motion and flexibility, and isotonic muscle strength. The second, 15-month phase of this group concentrated on developing independent, long-term exercise habits. The second study group participated in a 2-phase self-management program designed to educate participants and provide one-on-one treatment advice. The combined group participated in both the complete strength training and self-management programs. A total of 201 out of 273 participants completed the 2-year trial, with the self-management group achieving the highest compliance rates.
The study team set out to demonstrate that a combination of OA treatment programs would prove most effective, however, the study failed to uncover significant differences in results among the 3 study participant groups. All 3 groups demonstrated improvements in physical function tests and decreased self-reported pain and disability. “The logic behind the combined treatment was that the different factors addressed in physical and psychological treatments might produce an additive effect if administered together,” said Dr. McKnight. “These results suggest otherwise. Instead, the comparison of the 3 treatment arms showed no difference, suggesting similar benefits for all 3 over a 2-year period.”
In conclusion, the study suggested that middle-aged people with mild symptoms of osteoarthritis benefited from the combination in utilizing both a strength training and self management program, however the greatest compliance occurred for those individuals assigned to using a self management program.
