How do weight and exercise affect osteoarthritis?
ANSWER
Losing any extra weight can help prevent osteoarthritis of the knees, lower the stress and pain on weight-bearing joints. Exercise helps maintain joint movement strengthen the muscles that surround the joints. Swimming, walking, and other low-impact workouts put less stress on your joints. Also helpful is strength training, which uses weights or resistance to make muscles stronger.
From: Understanding Osteoarthritis WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed by David Zelman on May 05, 2018
SOURCES:
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, "Osteoarthritis."
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: "Questions & Answers: NIH Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial Primary Study."
Lozada, C. Firestein: Kelly's Textbook of Rheumatology, 8th ed. "Management of Osteoarthritis."
SOURCES:
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, "Osteoarthritis."
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: "Questions & Answers: NIH Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial Primary Study."
Lozada, C. Firestein: Kelly's Textbook of Rheumatology, 8th ed. "Management of Osteoarthritis."
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