Exercise key to help stop the progression of knee osteoarthritis

Posted April 26, 2011 on Faculty of Medicine website
by Marta Cyperling

Calgary has recruited an internationally respected rheumatologist who is focused on patient-based research. Dr. John Esdaile recently joined the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine. He hopes his research will help the hundreds of thousands of Albertans who have arthritis.

“After a patient is diagnosed with osteoarthritis, they wonder what they can do. Chronic disease management is a really important issue to address,” says Esdaile who also holds the Arthur J.E. Child Chair in Rheumatology Research at the U of C. “It is encouraging that we can show them the data and tell them they need to keep exercising and moving”.

Some of that data comes from one of Esdaile’s studies. He and his colleagues looked at how health professionals can help slow down the progression of knee osteoarthritis in patients. The study followed 190 patients for six months and concluded that a patient’s pain and function significantly improve after participating in exercise, and activity. The study was published in Arthritis Care & Research last year.

Eric Gould is a 54-year-old Calgarian who has had pain in his knee for the last three years due to osteoarthritis. He was not part of the study but can testify to the important role exercise has played in managing his osteoarthritis. He occasionally takes over the counter medications to help ease his pain and has seen a physiotherapist but he says staying active has been the biggest factor in controlling his pain. “During the winter months I’m not as active and I absolutely feel a difference in my knee”.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and contributes to half of all disabilities in North America. It is important to Esdaile that research focuses on direct outcomes. “We are doing research that focuses on answers that can be applied quickly to patient care,” he says.

In addition to joining a team of researchers in Calgary, Esdaile is also building a partnership between Alberta and B.C. called the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada. “I believe we can build an arthritis powerhouse in Western Canada,” he says.

Arthritis Facts:

• Arthritis is the leading cause of pain and disability in North America.
• Arthritis affects more than 4.2 million (16 %) of Canadians 15 years and older.
• More than 411,000 (15%) of Albertans have arthritis. Arthritis is a broad term that encompasses over one hundred conditions that affect the joints. The two most common forms of arthritis are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• Osteoarthritis (OA) is the deterioration of cartilage. It is often referred to as “wear and tear” of the joints. This can be caused from previous injuries and excess weight gain. OA affects more than 10 % of Canadians.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and even deformity. RA affects 1 % of Canadians.