Run to the arthrosis!
Morning runs destroy joints
Asya Parfenova, Infox.ruNot all sports are equally useful.
In addition to a good mood and a healthy weight, hobbies such as running or jumping can "give" people serious joint problems.
Medical scientists from the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Visual Research at the University of California at San Francisco conducted a study that may question the widespread belief in the benefits of any sport. They reported the results at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, which took place on Monday, November 30, 2009 in Chicago.
Osteoarthritis for healthy and active
"Our data suggest that people with a high level of physical activity have a much higher risk of developing disorders in the knee joint, which means that the risk of developing osteoarthritis is also higher," said study leader Christoph Stehling.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the joints of bones. It causes joint pain, swelling and, as a result, reduced mobility in patients. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint damage and one of the main causes of disability. It leads to a significant deterioration in the quality of life of the population, especially the elderly.
According to the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention, osteoarthritis affects about 27 million American adults. According to medical estimates, in the territory of the former USSR, from 2 to 7% of the population suffer from this disease, that is, from several million to several tens of millions of people.
The participants did not complain
The research was carried out by specialists of the University of California at its base with the participation of the National Institute of Health as part of the osteoarthritis prevention program. It was attended by 136 women and 100 men aged 45 to 55 years, whose weight corresponded to healthy age norms. None of the participants had ever reported problems or pain in the knee joints before.
The volunteers were divided into three groups - with low, medium and high physical activity. The division was based on the answers to the questions of the standard test "Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly" (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly; PASE). With the help of this test, specialists of various profiles assess the level of physical activity of elderly patients based on both the type of activity and the time allocated for physical exercise. This takes into account not only walking, running or other sports, but also work in the house and in the garden. A person whose level of physical activity is classified as high usually exercises at least ten hours a week.
The joints of the experimental participants were examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which allows to study the condition of not only bones, but also cartilage tissue. MRI revealed a direct relationship between the level of physical activity of the patient and the frequency, as well as the severity of knee injuries. In the studied patients, whose activity level was determined to be high, such disorders as damage to the meniscus, cartilage, ligaments, as well as edema of the bone marrow were most often detected.
The frequency and severity of violations were associated exclusively with the level of physical activity, and doctors did not find any specific dependence of the probability of these violations on gender or age. "The prevalence of knee disorders increased with the level of physical activity," Dr. Stehling said. -- Moreover, defects, especially cartilage tissue, which were diagnosed in active people, were more serious."
Swimming and walking for joints
The results of the study also revealed that some types of activity carry a high risk of knee injury for a long time after stopping exercise. "This, like the previous studies of our group, suggests that highly effective and high-load types of physical activity, such as running and jumping, have a rather bad effect on the health of cartilage," said Dr. Stehling. -"Conversely, sports with a low load on the skeleton, such as swimming and cycling, can heal already damaged cartilage, as well as prevent the development of diseases of healthy cartilage."
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru02.12.2009