How Incline Walking Can Help Osteoarthritis in Your Knees
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It occurs when the natural cushioning between the joints, also known as cartilage, wears down. Cartilage provides a buffer between the bones of the joints. Individuals with osteoarthritis experience pain, swelling, stiffness, limited mobility, and sometimes even bone spurs.
The knees, hips, lower back, and neck are most often affected, although it can happen in any joint. As Osteoarthritis progresses, bones can break down and develop growths called spurs. Bone spurs are smooth, hard bumps of extra bone that form on the ends of bones. They often pop up in the joints -- the places where two bones meet. Eventually, the cartilage wears away, and bone rubs against bone, leading to joint damage and more pain.
Knee Osteoarthritis
Since walking is such a common and repetitive activity, it has been linked to overuse injuries like frontal plane knee loading and knee osteoarthritis. People with knee osteoarthritis may struggle with traditional forms of exercise. This is especially challenging for aging athletes or post-surgery individuals who wish to remain active and subscribe to a “use it or lose it” lifestyle.
Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis
Incline Walking for Osteoarthritis
Great news! Incline walking on a treadmill can significantly improve a walking workout. According to Livestrong.com, “adding an incline significantly increases the calories you burn during your walk. For example, if you weigh 160 lbs. and walk at a 4.0 mph pace on no incline, you will burn approximately 145 calories in 30 minutes. Raise the incline to a 5 percent grade, and you will burn 243 calories in that half hour. Go up to a challenging 10 percent and burn 345 calories.”
In addition to the calorie burn, incline walking can increase gluteal, hamstring, and quadriceps muscle activation during a workout which can significantly improve the strength and stamina to the muscles that support the knees. Also, new research demonstrates that walking on treadmills at an incline of 10% or greater can significantly reduce frontal plane knee joint loading. This is excellent news for folks who wish to exercise but have to take it easy on their knees due to osteoarthritis concerns or have recently undergone a knee replacement.
Weight Loss to Help Control Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
A well-balanced diet can help you manage and maintain your weight. Not everyone with knee osteoarthritis will need to lose weight, but if you are overweight, getting to a healthier weight by eating well can help manage your osteoarthritis. Check out this article on How weight loss can help your knee Osteopathists.
Physical Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis
Did you know…physical therapy can help decrease knee osteoarthritis's pain, swelling, and stiffness? It can also help improve knee joint function.
Our licensed physical therapist in Littleton, CO can help design the proper treatment and exercise plan for you. Our therapists will help make walking, bending, kneeling, squatting, and sitting easier. Research has shown that a combination of manual physical therapy and supervised exercise has functional benefits for patients with knee osteoarthritis and may delay or prevent the need for surgery.