Arthritis is a common misunderstood word patients often hear from their doctors. Basically, it means swelling and tenderness of one or more of your joints, that may result in pain or achiness in the joint. Over time our understanding of this diagnosis has changed:
Myth - We used to think that this discomfort was due to structural loss of cartilage, or “wear and tear of the joint” resulting in irreversible damage that requires a knee replacement.
However new research has shown that this is a misleading hypothesis. We know now that with consistent, targeted exercise we can decrease symptoms of achiness and pain. Targeted exercise has also been shown to prolong or prevent the need for surgical intervention.
Exercise is a form of medicine and it can prevent and treat over 25 chronic conditions
Surgical intervention should be your last resort: A knee replacement is tough! It’s not the easy way out and takes months of rehab. It is very important to participate in prehab to strengthen the joint prior to a knee replacement.
