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Joint Conditions

A Whole New World for My Hips

Proper training and proper treatment of joint pain is bringing Sarah Hiner from being a wannabe to a runner. Her secret? Muscle balance

Arthritis

Could You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Not Know It?

If you have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms but tests come back negative, you could have seronegative RA. Here’s how to get diagnosed and treated.

Arthritis

7 Natural Ways to Relieve the Pain of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Lifestyle changes and natural remedies can complement your rheumatoid arthritis medications.

Diseases & Conditions

Drugstore Solution Prevents Deadly Blood Clots After Knee Surgery

Heparin, warfarin and other anticoagulants are usually prescribed to prevent blood clots after knee-replacement surgery. This OTC choice is safer, cheaper.

Arthritis

5 Cutting-Edge Tips to Control Your RA

Get better control over your rheumatoid arthritis with these use-right-away tips from the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting.

Diseases & Conditions

Joint Pain? It’s All in Your Gut

Gastrointestinal problems caused by low stomach acid, stress and poor diet cause the inflammation that damages joints. Here’s how to heal…

Diseases & Conditions

Shoulder Pain: Beware the Common Surgery That Doesn’t Help

If you have shoulder pain, you might get the wrong diagnosis and then have surgery that’s no more effective than physical therapy!

Diseases & Conditions

Steroid Injections for Arthritis Pain—Reasons to Think Twice

It’s a quick fix, but is that enough? Here’s what you should know about the risks and benefits.

Arthritis

My Thumb Hurts When I Use My Computer

If your thumb aches while you use a computer, that could mean arthritis. There are effective ways to get relief—and still use your computer. Read on…

Arthritis

The High Risks of Low-Dose Steroids for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Steroids for rheumatoid arthritis cause side effects that are alarming. What you need to know to protect yourself.

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis Does NOT Cause Joint Pain!

You don’t need medications, steroid shots even surgery to ease joint pain. Here’s the true cause—it’s not arthritis—and the real cure.

Arthritis

Walking: A Drug-Free Rx for Arthritis

Do you have arthritis and want to ease pain and fatigue? This no-cost prescription is the ticket.

Diseases & Conditions

Hip Pain? Forget the Steroids and Do These Exercises Instead

If you have lateral hip pain (gluteal tendinopathy), these moves can retrain key muscles and ease achiness with none of the side effects of steroids.

Diseases & Conditions

What Should I Do for a “Frozen Shoulder”?

If your shoulder feels “frozen” and painful, here are the best ways to get relief…

Diseases & Conditions

Knee Pain: 7 Things You’re Doing That Make It Worse, Not Better

You could be the cause of your knee pain without realizing it. Avoid these mistakes to keep your knees healthy.

Diseases & Conditions

When Shoulder Pain Won’t Go Away

Use these latest therapies to get the best results… When you’ve got a painful shoulder,…

Diseases & Conditions

How to Relieve Shoulder Pain Without Surgery

Shoulder surgery is common. But you can probably avoid it—even if you already have serious shoulder pain.

Diseases & Conditions

Natural Relief for Shoulder and Knee Pains that Come and Go

Kevin, a guard at Gitmo, complained of shoulder and knee pains that only appeared when he was in Cuba but disappeared when home in Connecticut.

Diseases & Conditions

The Best Way to Recover from Total Knee Replacement

Every year, more than 700,000 Americans get a new knee (or two)—a number that’s expected…

Arthritis

Joint Rehab Prevents Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is likely after a joint injury if you rush back to your previous level of activity before the joint is fully healed.

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Joint Rehab Prevents Arthritis

If you suffer a serious injury to a joint, there’s a good chance that more bad news lies ahead—but you can avoid that if you know what researchers recently discovered about joint injuries.

Not only are joints that have been injured often later reinjured—these joints also face substantially increased risk for painful and potentially debilitating osteoarthritis. The new research found, for example, that people with a history of knee injuries are three to six times more likely to develop osteoarthritis in the injured knee than people with no history of knee problems. Osteoarthritis is especially likely if you rush back to your previous level of activity after an injury, short-circuiting the rehabilitation needed to allow the joint to heal fully. The knee is not the only trouble spot—injuries to hips, shoulders and ankles also have been linked to significantly increased risk for osteoarthritis.

Sustaining a serious injury to a joint can destabilize the joint…weaken the muscles surrounding it…and/or alter the way you use the joint during activity, leading to greatly accelerated cartilage wear. That’s why adequate recovery, including a rehabilitation program to strengthen the muscles that support the injured joint, is crucial.

What to do: If you sustain an injury to a joint, ask your doctor about a physical therapy program and then stick with this physical therapy program for its entire recommended duration even if the joint has stopped hurting.

Ask your doctor or physical therapist what types of exercise are safe for the joint while it still is recovering, prior to returning to unrestricted physical activity.

Finally, if you have suffered a major knee-joint injury, have the joint and surrounding muscles reevaluated by a physical therapist, athletic trainer or sports medicine professional prior to returning to full activity levels and periodically in the years following your injury—even if it feels as good as new. There might be lingering issues such as muscle weakness or altered movement patterns that are too subtle for you to notice but that could increase your risk for osteoarthritis.

Source: Joseph M. Hart, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology at University of Virginia Curry School of Education in Charlottesville. Date: December 15, 2017