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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 26, 2006 Exercising can help with that weak-kneed feeling By Jeannine Stein Los Angeles Times Strong quadriceps muscles — those at the front of the thigh — are a must for anyone who wants to fly downhill on skis, attempt a double axel on skates or scale a mountain by foot or by bike. These muscles do more than help you straighten your legs and stand; they're integral in everything from walking to high jumping. But they may have special importance for people with knee osteoarthritis. A recent study of people with the condition found that those who had stronger quadriceps had less cartilage loss behind the kneecap. Less cartilage loss can mean better range of motion and less discomfort. "Although this was not an exercise study, our results suggest that (exercise) is beneficial for the knees, especially the knee joints," said Dr. Shreyasee Amin, assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and lead author of the study. "Other studies have shown that it can help with decreasing pain and improving function." Most experts agree that excess weight, injury and a genetic predisposition contribute to knee osteoarthritis, but they're less sure about the effect of various types of exercise. They point out, however, that strengthening the quadriceps could prevent further damage. Advertisement "It helps stabilize the patella (a flat, triangular bone covering the surface of the knee joint) and prevents it from moving laterally and tracking abnormally in the knee," Amin said. "When it's not aligned in the knee groove properly, you can have more cartilage loss from the friction." Osteoarthritis in general, in which the cartilage between bone joints is worn away over time, is primarily associated with aging and affects some 21 million people in the U.S., according to the Arthritis Foundation. Knee osteoarthritis accounts for many of the almost half-million knee-replacement surgeries in the United States each year. The study, presented this month at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, was done in conjunction with researchers from Boston University and the University of California, San Francisco. It included knee-joint MRIs of 265 men and women with the pre-existing condition who were tested again at 15 months and 30 months to see how much cartilage had been lost over time. Participants' quadriceps strength was also measured during knee extensions, a seated exercise in which the legs are lifted in front of the body. Those who had the strongest quadriceps had the least cartilage loss at the patellofemoral joint behind the kneecap, Amin said. Those with the weakest quadriceps had about 20 percent cartilage loss over time, whereas those with a medium amount of quadriceps strength had just slightly more. The strongest group had about 60 percent less deterioration than the weakest group. Although most health experts recommend building up the quadriceps to prevent further osteoarthritis damage, previous studies have shown conflicting relationships between quadriceps strength and osteoarthritis progression. In some, stronger quadriceps had either no effect on progression — or, for some, a harmful effect. One, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2003, studied people with knee osteoarthritis who had malaligned knees (such as knock knees) or lax knees (excess motion in the knees). Among 237 people, more quadriceps strength resulted in a greater chance of osteoarthritis progression in the tibiofemoral joint, the main knee joint. "There are a few studies that conflict," says Lynn Millar, professor of physical therapy at Andrews University in Michigan and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, "but if you look at the majority of studies, weaker quadriceps are related to increased problems with osteoarthritis. You can look at it two ways — some suggest weakness precedes the osteoarthritis, others show that it occurs concurrent with it. But there are numerous studies that show that strengthening the quadriceps decreases pain and improves function and range of motion and doesn't progress the arthritis any faster." Amin believes that maintaining quadriceps strength is good for the knees, especially for the knee joints. "It's not always clear what causes osteoarthritis — certainly genetics, being overweight and injury contribute — but exercise per se is not bad," Amin said, recommending continued exercise even for those who have the painful condition. That can seem like a tall order — some sufferers fear that exercise will cause more pain. "At first (exercise) may not be comfortable," Millar acknowledges, "but if you do a proper strengthening program, it will decrease the pain over time." Arthritis can be a vicious circle, she says. "If it's hurting, you think you need to rest it. But the more immobile the joint is, the less nutrition gets to it." The fluid the joints need to move is delivered through compression and relaxation of the joint — "which is basically movement," Millar said. "If you don't move the joint, you'll start to deteriorate the joint surfaces." Of course, exercise may have to be modified to prevent further damage of the joint. Runners, for example, may have to switch to walking, or water-based workouts. "It depends on the type of problem," Amin said, "but you want to try to avoid high-impact activities such as jogging, or high weight-bearing activities." Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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