Osteoarthritis is the wear and tear or degeneration of joint cartilage. It is very common - about 1 in 5 Australians over the age of 45 have osteoarthritis. It usually affects the larger, weight-bearing joints such as hips and knees but other joints can be affected as well.

Osteoarthritis most commonly presents as pain, stiffness and swelling. It is usually worse in the morning or after prolonged periods of inactivity. It can be extremely debilitating and have a huge impact on a person’s quality of life.

There is a common belief or misconception that arthritic joints need to be protected and off-loaded. Many believe that, if they are experiencing pain with exercise or daily activities, they must be doing more damage to the joint and therefore stop. Similarly, there is the thought that exercise will cause further “wear and tear” to the joint. This is not the case. In fact, we now know the opposite to be true. Exercise causes the bone and soft tissue structures around joints to become stronger and more robust and is one of the most effective ways of reducing the pain and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis.

How is it managed?

Another misconception about OA (particularly in the knee) is that it needs to be managed with joint replacement surgery. However, conservative management consisting of resistance/strength based, weight-bearing exercises is actually considered to be the gold standard of treatment.

It is recommended to perform 2-3 land-based strengthening exercise sessions per week. If unable to complete a land-based session, aquatic exercise (hydrotherapy) can be a great alternative in the interim.

At Avanti Physiotherapy, our physiotherapists run “Living Longer, Living Stronger” classes which are an evidence based, progressive strengthening program that can assist in the management of OA. We also have a hydrotherapy pool on site where you can implement a personally tailored exercise program or participate in one of our hydrotherapy sessions.