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Are you keeping up with your home exercise program? There is new incentive to keep osteoarthritis patients up and moving!

A new study shows that patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis (OA) who kept up with their self-directed, home exercise program demonstrated greater improvement in the areas of pain control and physical function than patients who did not maintain their prescribed home exercise plan.

The study, reported in the August issue of Arthritis Care & Research, involved 150 patients receiving exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 15, and 60 months of follow-up.

All of these outcomes were significantly better in patients who kept up with the recommended home exercises and who were more physically active.

For more information, call 239-368-8277 or visit http://www.bone-fix.com/.

• Do you sometimes limp?
• Is it difficult to perform daily tasks like walking, housework or tying shoes?
• Does pain limit your activities and lifestyle?
• Does one leg feel “shorter”? 
• Do you have balance problems?
• Do you experience pain in the thigh, groin or buttocks?
• Does pain radiate to the knee?

It’s estimated 70 million people in the U.S. have some form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types, causing wear and tear that deteriorates the “cushion” in your joints. Because osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, it won’t get better and may get worse.

In healthy hips, the end of each bone in the joint is covered with cartilage, acting as a cushion so the joint functions without pain.

In cases of a diseased hip or osteoarthritis, the wear and tear deteriorates the natural cushion, leading to bone-on-bone contact, soreness and swelling.

For a proper diagnosis and to discuss treatment options, consult your physician or a board certified orthopaedic surgeon. For more information, visit http://www.bone-fix.com/.