Living Well With Arthritis: Finding Movement Your Joints Reward

Osteoarthritis is a change in joint cartilage and the surrounding bone, and it is far more common than most people realise. What matters most is that pain levels correlate poorly with what appears on an X-ray. Many people with significant changes on imaging have no pain at all, and many with painful joints show only mild changes. Movement does not wear the joint out. Cartilage has no blood supply and is nourished by load and motion, so joints that move regularly stay healthier. Exercise is recommended as a first line treatment for osteoarthritis, ahead of medication or surgery. At Peak Movement in Cape Town, an expert team of physiotherapists and biokineticists will identify which muscles around the affected joint have weakened, what movement your joints will tolerate and reward, and what genuinely aggravates them. Will exercise wear my joints out faster? No. Cartilage is nourished by movement, and inactivity is more harmful than activity. Does my X-ray tell me how bad it is? Not reliably. Imaging changes correlate poorly with pain and function. What is the best treatment for arthritis? Progressive strengthening and activity are recommended before medication or surgery. Book your first session at 94 Strand Street, Cape Town, or call 067 369 0593. This runs alongside the care of your doctor.