|
|
Back to Archive Index |
 SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 Strong Thigh Muscles Protect Against Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms Strong thigh muscles may protect you from developing symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, particularly if you are a woman. A new study shows that thigh muscle strength predicts whether you feel the pain or stiffness of knee osteoarthritis, but does not predict whether you will have knee osteoarthritis uncovered by x-rays. Women with stronger quadriceps muscles appear to have better protection against the development of symptoms than men. The knee is the most common weight-bearing joint affected by osteoarthritis. About 1 out 6 American adults age 45 and up has knee osteoarthritis, with more women than men feeling symptoms of the disease. A study led by Dr. Neil Segal of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics followed more than 3,000 men and women ages 50-79 over a 30-month period to assess whether thigh muscle strength could predict if osteoarthritis would be found by X-rays or by knee symptoms. Nearly 4,000 knees were evaluated for the combination of osteoarthritis on X-ray and symptoms, including pain, aching, or stiffness on most days of the month, he reported in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research. At the end of the 30-month period, 10.1% of women and 7.8% of men had knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Thigh muscle strength was not a significant predictor of knee osteoarthritis found on X-rays. However, women in the top third of thigh muscle strength had a lower incidence of knee symptoms. Men with strong thigh muscles had only slightly better odds of developing symptoms compared to men with weaker thigh muscles. The bottom line: the findings suggest that if a woman increases her thigh muscle strength, she may be able to reduce her risk of symptoms from knee osteoarthritis. |
|
|
|
Disclaimer and Copyright · Site design by Marketorial.com
|