Treatment for some kinds of arthritis may have a greater impact on our wellness if we also focus on our tendons. Osteoarthritis specialists say that rehabilitating muscles connected to the affected bones could work better than concentrating on just the joints that are causing us problems.
Where’s the pain?
When we suffer from osteoarthritis in our hips, our cartilage gets worn leading to pain. This usually occurs over time and is down to wear and tear in our joints. Although worn cartilage is the source of the problem, experts have found that when we suffer from this kind of arthritis, we can get issues in other parts of our body, like our buttocks. New research shows that in some cases of osteoarthritis, tendons in the buttocks appear damaged. Scientists are unsure whether osteoarthritis causes wear and tear found in these tendons, or if it’s the other way round. What they do suggest is treating both health concerns so we can reduce our pain and mobilise more easily.
On repeat
When we have both osteoarthritis and tendonitis, experts say it’s important that we tackle the dual issues quickly. Exercises need to benefit both our arthritic joints and our tendon problems. Exercises that we can do to help both conditions include repetitive movements that are low intensity. A simple way to strengthen both the soft tissues and protect our hip is by lying on our side, bending the outer leg and lifting it up, then out. Rotating the leg away from our body, when we are either sitting or lying can also have the same effect. To begin with we should keep our weight off our joints and tendons when we’re doing these rehabilitation activities. Over time this can change, with some light resistance being applied, as long as it doesn’t cause pain. Our GPs can give us further tips on how we can help our bodies heal from damaged tendons linked to osteoarthritis.
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