Monday, December 7, 2009

Sport, friend or foe of osteoarthritis?

Sport is not the enemy of osteoarthritis, far away. Instead exercise when one has osteoarthritis is important to maintain good joint mobility. But what sport practice if one wants to spare his joints? The Nutrition.fr an update for you.

Sport encourages Does osteoarthritis?

Throughout life, making the exercise helps maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight, maintaining muscle tone, prevent osteoporosis, to keep morale high and of cause his heart. However, alongside these benefits, the practice of a sport can lead to the onset of certain diseases such as osteoarthritis. The overuse of a joint and repeated trauma (shock or damage to the tendons) and cause premature wear of the cartilage. The link between sports and some osteoarthritis of a joint data has been established.

What are risk sports?

Among sports with intensive practice increases the risk of osteoarthritis include:
- Sports ball collective football, handball, rugby, basketball
- Dance
- Skiing
- Tennis and squash
- Athletics
- Judo and karate
- Weightlifting

However, interest in sport should not be challenged because its health benefits are numerous. Osteoarthritis should in no way prevent further physical activity. You just choose the sport and should adjust the intensity and duration of the effort to its possibilities.

Move ... in the joints

The sport is necessary in osteoarthritis to maintain good joint mobility and maintain painful muscles and tendons around the joints. In addition, exercise also promote the synthesis of cartilage. According to a recent Swedish study in sports regularly and moderately would improve the quality of the cartilage of the knee meniscus made people (1).
It is therefore essential to continue to walk, force himself to exercise even when the joints are painful. The trick is to choose a sport that does not ask too many joints as walking, swimming, water aerobics, yoga (to avoid tennis, jogging, skiing). And why not Tai Chi Chuan? Researchers from Cleveland, Ohio, found that people suffering from chronic arthritis, complained less of pain after 10 weeks of daily practice of Tai Chi Chuan, as sedentary. According to Patricia Adler, who led the study, the movements of this Chinese martial art to help fight the pain by improving blood circulation in tissues, strengthening the muscles and tendons surrounding the joint (2).
Another important measure if you are overweight: lose a few pounds, your joints will thank you. Being overweight increases the pressure on the cartilage and accelerates the progression of osteoarthritis. In addition, several studies in obese showed a loss of even modest weight allowed to suffer less. And when it involves one hour of exercise three times a week, relief is even greater (3).

Joint by joint, which sport practice?

The knee

Sports Avoid: football, fencing, rugby, running, combat sport, tennis

Sports preferable in cases of osteoarthritis: walking on flat terrain and regular cycling (unless osteoarthritis makes the descent of stairs difficult), swimming.

Hip

Sports to avoid sports of football, horse riding, dancing, jumping, combat sports.

Sports preferable in cases of osteoarthritis: walking, swimming, cycling, diving, sailing.

The lumbar

Sports to avoid cycling, riding, jumping, combat sports, golf, tennis.

Sports preferable in cases of osteoarthritis: walking, swimming (except butterfly stroke)

Shoulder

Sports Avoid: racquet sports, martial arts, archery, golf, sailing

Sports preferable in cases of osteoarthritis: walking, swimming, cycling, diving /

The elbow

Sports Avoid: racquet sports, martial arts, archery, javelin.

Sports preferable in cases of osteoarthritis: all other sports (unless they reveal or aggravate the pain).

The hand

Sports Avoid: racquet sports, boxing, karate, horseback riding (in competition).

Sports preferable in cases of osteoarthritis: all other sports do not require significant taken in hand.

The foot

Sports Avoid: cross, marathon, distance running, jumping.

Sports preferable in cases of osteoarthritis: all other sports (with appropriate footwear).

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