Reading time is 3 mins
.
.
EXERCISE AGAINST ARTHRITIS
We are physically moving less because of the conveniences brought by modern life. This has a serious cost to us; a decrease in the amount of muscle in our body, that is, sarcopenia… When our muscle volume decreases, more stress is placed on our load-bearing joints such as hips, knees, ankles. However, the lack of movement caused by obesity and working conditions caused by improper eating habits, the incidence of joint calcification (osteoarthritis), which occurs with advancing age, is also increasing along with many chronic diseases.
.
Turkey Medicals Co-ordinator, “At the point of mistakes that we know are right in this process and what should be done”, we ask JCI MedicalPark Antalya Hospital department Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist Op. Doctor…
.
1- What is joint calcification and why does it occur?
The most common cause of joint calcification is the deterioration of the articular cartilage without any known cause. This group constitutes more than 90 percent of the patients. Most of the known causes are mechanical problems . Knee calcification is often seen especially in patients with advanced angular disorders of the legs. The reason is that the loads from the upper side are collected on one side of the knee joint and the load is not evenly distributed. It causes excessive wear of the cartilage in that area of the joint. On the other hand, if you have undergone surgery due to a meniscal tear and the tear has not had a chance to be sewn up and part or almost all of the meniscus has been removed, there is a high probability of knee joint calcification. In patients, an increase in pain is observed, especially when walking, climbing stairs and running.
2- Does exercising cause damage to mild and moderate knee calcification?
As the incidence of joint calcification increases in society, prejudices about the treatment of this disease are also increasing. When you have joint cartilage calcification (osteoarthritis) in your knee, most of the doctors of the relevant branch want you not to run and stop exercising. They think that the cause of your knee problem is mechanical wear and tear in the cartilage. When a significant part of the patients experience joint calcification, they think that knee pain will worsen with exercise. In fact, most of the time the opposite is true. It has been proven that exercising is one of the most effective treatment options for mild and moderate knee calcification.
3- What is the direction of research and applications on this issue in the world?
Research has shown that after running sports and resistance exercises, chemicals that are harmful to articular cartilage decrease in the knee joint. At the same time, it has also been concluded that running sports positively affect the knee joint cartilage health. That is, our articular cartilage likes regular loads. Again, most studies have shown that the structure of the articular cartilage is not adversely affected by exercise, knee pain gets better with exercise. Exercise reduces pain, increases strength and prevents muscle loss. At the same time, it may delay surgical treatment by improving the quality of life.
Most people think that running will cause calcification of the knee joint and wear and tear of the articular cartilage. Even in healthy lifestyle, recreational runners and those who have run an average of 35 kilometers a week for more than 40 years at a professional level, no association of articular cartilage damage has been found in the knee joint. In addition, running has been shown to slow down the functional aspects of musculoskeletal aging. Exercise is the best treatment for patients with deteriorating knee cartilage or calcification of the knee joint. Knee cartilage does not wear out by running or walking.
4- What is the situation for Professional Athletes?
The situation varies depending on the branch in professional athletes; if the sport is a trauma-prone sport such as football, basketball, volleyball, anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus tears may occur as a result of trauma, as well as joint cartilage may be damaged. In sports such as running, cycling, swimming, we almost never expect to have joint cartilage problems, because there is almost no trauma in these sports.
5- What should professionals who have joint cartilage problems do?
First of all, the problem that needs to be done should ensure that the muscle group around the joint is strong and flexible enough, for this purpose, personalized exercise programs and the athlete should do these therapeutic exercises under the supervision of a professional.
6- What can be done outside of exercise?
Our priority should definitely be exercise, if we can’t get enough recovery with exercise, we can consider intra-articular injections (Hyalunoric acid, PRP, stem cell) and surgical treatment options.
7- How about preventive measures? What can be done at an early age?
Injury prevention exercise programs have been implemented for many years in the world, especially in football. Most of the studies conducted are specifically aimed at ‘anterior cruciate ligament’ injury prevention programs in the knee joint. The result of these studies is that 2/3 of anterior cruciate ligament injuries can be prevented when specially prescribed exercise programs are applied. Cartilage injuries are no different from this.
.
.
Turkey's world-renowned organ transplant specialist. Dr. Demirbaş has 104 international publications and 102 national publications.
Physician's Resume:
Born on August 7, 1963 in Çorum, Prof. Dr. Alper Demirbaş has been continuing his work as the President of MedicalPark Antalya Hospital Organ Transplantation Center since 2008.
Prof. who performed the first tissue incompatible kidney transplant in Turkey, the first blood type incompatible kidney transplant, the first kidney-pancreas transplant program and the first cadaveric donor and live donor liver transplant in Antalya. Dr. As of August 2016, Alper Demirbaş has performed 4900 kidney transplants, 500 liver transplants and 95 pancreas transplants.
In addition to being the chairman of 6 national congresses, he has also been an invited speaker at 12 international and 65 national scientific congresses. Dr. Alper Demirbaş was married and the father of 1 girl and 1 boy.
Awards:
Eczacibasi Medical Award of 2002, Akdeniz University Service Award of 2005, Izder Medical Man of the Year Award of 2006, BÖHAK Medical Man of the Year Award of 2007, Sabah Mediterranean Newspaper Scientist of the Year Award of 2007, ANTIKAD Scientist of the Year Award of 2009, Social Ethics Association Award of 2010, Işık University Medical Man of the Year Award of 2015, VTV Antalya's Brand Value Award of 2015.
Certificates:
Doctor of Medicine Degree Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Ankara, General Surgeon Ministry of Health Turkey EKFMG (0-477-343-8), University of Miami School of Medicine Member of Multiple Organ Transplant, ASTS Multiorgan Transplant Scholarship. Lecturer at Kyoto University. Lecturer at University of Essen, Research assistant at the University of Cambridge .
Professional Members:
American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Transplantation Society Nominated, Middle East and Southern Africa Council Transplantation Society 2007, International Liver Transplantation Association, Turkish Transplantation Association, Turkish Society of Surgery, Turkish Hepatobiliary Surgery Association.
Disclaimer:
Our website contents consist of articles approved by our Web and Medical Editorial Board with the contributions of our physicians. Our contents are prepared only for informational purposes for public benefit. Be sure to consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.