- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Pollution May Raise Blood Pressure
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Supplement Hampers Thyroid Cancer Treatment
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Needling Away Your Headaches With Acupuncture
- ANIMAL CARE
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- BONES & JOINTS
- Extra Pounds in Mid-Life Affect Later Mobility
- Stem Cells Might Treat Tough Fractures
- Majority of College Students Report Backpack-Related Pain
- CANCER
- Women Smokers Lose 14.5 Years Off Life Span
- Wristbands May Lessen Nausea After Radiation
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- CAREGIVING
- MRSA Infections Spreading to Kids in Community
- Tainted China Formula Caused High Rate of Kidney Stones in Kids
- With Age Comes Greater Risk of Hypothermia
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- A Brisk Pace May Keep Stroke at Bay
- Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits: Review
- Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
- COSMETIC
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Health Tip: At Risk for Gingivitis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- Acid Drinks Blamed for Increase in Tooth Erosion
- DIABETES
- Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics
- Fructose-Sweetened Drinks Up Metabolic Syndrome Risk
- Study Shows Turmeric May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Potassium-Rich Foods May Cut Stroke, Heart Disease Risk
- Trans-Fat Ban In New York City Is Proving successful
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Heavy Traffic Can Be Heartbreaking
- Showerheads Harbor a Bounty of Germs
- Seasons Arriving 2 Days Earlier, Study Says
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Don't Lose Sight of Halloween Safety
- Glaucoma Treatment Can Prevent Blindness
- Green Tea May Ward Off Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- Living With Less TV, More Sweat Boosts Weight Loss
- As Temperature Plummets, It's Still Safe to Exercise
- Community Exercise Programs Boost Seniors' Strength
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Even Young Kids Can Learn CPR
- Biomarkers May Help Measure Rate of Decline in Dementia
- Play Creatively as a Kid, Be a Healthier Adult
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Ingredient in Dark Chocolate Could Guard Against Stroke
- Small Cuts in Salt Intake Spur Big Drops in Heart Trouble
- Estrogen May Help Men's Hearts
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Swine Flu Closes Three Schools in NYC
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- KID'S HEALTH
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Green Spaces Boost the Body and the Mind
- Cinnamon Breaks Up Brain Plaques, May Hold Key to Fighting Alzheimer’s
- Consciousness Helps the Mind and Body Work Together
- PAIN
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- PREGNANCY
- For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best
- Expectant Mom's Exercise Keeps Newborn's Birth Weight Down
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- SENIORS
- Money May Matter, Health-Wise, in Old Age
- More Whole Grains May Mean Less Fat
- Friends, Not Grandkids, Key to Happy Retirement
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
