What Is Arthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage which acts as a protective layer and cushion at the ends of the bones can wear down over time. 

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint, but the most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. Today we will be talking about knee osteoarthritis and what you can do to prevent and what you can do to live a strong and confident life even with arthritis. 

The knee joint includes the femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone) with the patella (knee cap) that slides over the joint in a tendon sheath as the knee bends and straightens. There’s also another bone next to the tibia called the fibula (bone on the outside of lower leg). 

 The knee joint has many soft tissue structures around and within the knee like ligaments and tendons to support and stabilize the knee joint such as the patellar tendon, anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, medial and lateral meniscus. There’s also cartilage which surrounds the bones at the joint surface, which we mentioned above. This can be where symptoms of osteoarthritis can occur over time. 

What Can You Do?

Many people have reduced strength in the muscles around the joint which can lead to more “wearing” at the joint surface and development of symptoms for some individuals. Although we can’t make arthritis go away, we do have the capability to strengthen the muscles around the joint! With the right approach, strategic exercises, quantity and quality of the movement this will offload the joint at the joint surface and stabilize the joint while reducing pain. 

At Inside Out Strength and Performance we work with hundreds of patients, active adults and athletes and we commonly see people with some form of OA. As Doctors of Physical Therapy, we help identify the root cause of symptoms, asymmetries and movement dysfunction and work with individuals.

Below we have our 5 Best Exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis to give you a running start. 

1. Bridge

2. Clamshells 3-ways

3. Straight Leg Raise Lift Overs

4. Knee to Wall - Ankle Mobility Drill

5. Lower Abdominal Heel Taps 

Give these a try and let us know if you feel a difference.  This has worked with hundreds of clients that we have worked with both locally at our performance physical therapy clinic as well as with online training athletes that we program for.

Don’t wait to live your best life, we’d love to help you reach your goals and be a part of your transformation!

Most people don’t know how to stay healthy and fit without getting hurt. At Inside Out Strength and Performance we provide a clear plan to get you in the best shape of your life, without getting injured, so that you can be active and confident that you’ll feel your best for years to come.

We help North County San Diego’s active adults and runners dealing with pain or injury get back to living a pain-free, strong, and confident life.

We are the Strength Docs who help active adults and runners live a strong, confident, and pain-free life. Follow the link to fill out our contact form here to get a clear plan and get started today!