- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- Massage Therapy Helps Those With Advanced Cancer
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- ANIMAL CARE
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Beware of Dog Bites
- BONES & JOINTS
- Fruits and Veggies May Strengthen Bones
- Fractures in Older Adults Up Death Risk
- Drinking Cuts Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
- CANCER
- Herb May Counter Liver Damage From Chemo
- Massage Therapy Helps Those With Advanced Cancer
- Bitter Melon Extract May Slow, Stop Breast Cancer
- CAREGIVING
- When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient
- Child's Food Allergies Take Toll on Family Plans
- More Than 60,000 Patients Risked Hepatitis Infections
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Potassium-Rich Foods May Cut Stroke, Heart Disease Risk
- Health Tip: Are You Anemic?
- Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
- COSMETIC
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Mom's Vitamin D Levels Affect Baby's Dental Health
- Gum Care Helps Control Type 2 Diabetes and Its Complications
- Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
- DIABETES
- 'Standard' Glucose Test May Be Wrong One for Obese Children
- Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Updated
- Whole Grains Take a Bite Out of Type 2 Diabetes Risk
- DIET, NUTRITION
- The Best Diet? That Depends on You
- 'Soda Tax' Wins Health Experts' Support
- More Whole Grains May Mean Less Fat
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Walkable Neighborhoods Keep the Pounds Off
- Hypertension May Hit Black Males Earlier
- Cleaning House May Be Risky for Women With Asthma
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Americans Losing Sight of Eye Health
- Contact Lens Cases Often Contaminated
- Statin Drugs Cause Eye Disorders
- FITNESS
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Exercise Extends Life of Kidney Patients
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Hoping for a Happy Family Holiday? Here's How
- Spread of Swine Flu in Japan Could Raise WHO Alert to Highest Level
- Can You Talk Your Way to Happy?
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Western Diet Linked To Heart Disease, Metabolic Syndrome
- Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Heart Disease
- Women Who Run May Benefit From Extra Folic Acid
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Dry Weather Boosts Odds of Flu Outbreaks
- KID'S HEALTH
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- Teen Stress May Have Roots in First Three Years of Life
- Dangerous Toys Still on Store Shelves, Report Finds
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- Strenuous Daily Workout May Keep Cancer at Bay
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Shop 'Til You Drop: You May Feel Better
- Daily dose of beet juice promotes brain health in older adults
- Meditation, Yoga Might Switch Off Stress Genes
- PAIN
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- PREGNANCY
- Exercise Boosts Bone Density in Breast-Feeding Moms
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- SENIORS
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Boost In Elderly Population Will Be Felt Worldwide
- Laughter Can Stimulate a Dull Appetite
Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
By eHolistic.com Published: 02/04/2009
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise may play a key role in helping people recover from total knee replacement and knee osteoarthritis (OA), two new studies show.
After receiving a total knee replacement, patients following a six-week progressive strengthening program showed much improvement in strength, function and pain when compared to those following the conventional care of inpatient rehabilitation and home physical therapy, according to a University of Delaware study published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Those in the exercise program -- which consisted of sessions focused on knee extension, range of motion, kneecap mobility, quadriceps strength, pain control and gait two to three times a week -- also showed much greater strength in their quadriceps and functional performance than the other group a year after the program.
Half of those in the exercise group also received neuromuscular electrical stimulation, but the additional treatment didn't seem to have any further effect on the results.
"Our data suggest that individuals who do not undertake an intensive rehabilitation program following [total knee replacement] are clearly at a disadvantage," the authors concluded. "Failing to obtain adequate functional recovery may accelerate functional decline and predispose these individuals to an early loss of functional independence as they age."
The other study, published in the same issue of Arthritis Care & Research, found that people who engaged in activities with low muscle strength (such as light household work) or high mechanical strain (such as dancing or tennis) had a greater risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.
VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam based its findings on physical activity questionnaires filled out by almost 1,700 seniors throughout a 12-year period. The activities were scored for intensity, mechanical strain, turning action and muscle strength, then evaluated. The findings also took into account demographics, health and physical activity from earlier in life.
The authors noted a particular lack of a link between being overweight and mechanical strain to knee osteoarthritis.
"This finding could indicate that the higher risk of knee OA in obese persons may be explained by factors other than increased mechanical strain, and higher levels of physical activity may not negatively affect knee health in heavier respondents," the authors wrote.
The authors called for more research to determine the optimal amount of daily activity needed for healthy joints for each activity before using their findings to advise exercise routines for older adults.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about osteoarthritis.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: Wiley-Blackwell, news release, Jan. 29, 2009
Last Updated: Feb. 04, 2009
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
More articles at www.eholistic.com
