Walk daily to prevent limitations and pain of osteoarthritis
- Marc Wasserman Ph.D. L.Ac. Dipl.O.M.
- Jun 15, 2014
- 1 min read
This recently published study shows that daily walking can help alleviate symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. This is something that we’ve always recommended clinically for patients to alleviate pain, and in this study Dr.White does a nice job of quantifying the results.
Walking an additional 1,000 steps each was associated with between a 16% to 18% reduction in incident functional limitation two years later. Walking less than 6,000 steps daily was the best threshold for identifying those who developed functional limitation.
By the way, 6000 steps is approximately equal to one hour of continuous walking.
From Chinese medical theory and our clinical experience we also know that it is important to keep the body warm. Exposure to cold may decrease active circulation to the area resulting in decreased oxygen supply and buildup of metabolic waste. So during colder months it is important to wear an extra layer of clothing.
Walking daily is a healthy part of anyone’s daily routine—and by simply adding and increasing daily walks we have an easy, affordable, and enjoyable way of managing pain.
So walk, keep warm, and be pain free
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