Need for Speed? .........…Maybe if you have Knee Arthritis

Knee Extensor Power Relates to Mobility Performance in People With Knee Osteoarthritis: Cross-Sectional Analysis was published in the July 2015 volume of the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association. This article suggests that power training for those with knee osteoarthritis has a strong correlation with improving walking and stair performance.

 
     We all know that osteoarthritis (OA) is a growing problem in the United States, especially since the Baby Boomers are approaching retirement.  In addition to the economic concerns of treating OA, we need to be aware of the disability, pain, and psychosocial  effects as well.  Common complaints of knee OA is that it hurts to walk, especially up or down stairs, rendering people with OA immobile. There is currently no known cure for osteoarthritis so the best course of treatment is prevention and symptom management through diet modification, physical therapy, and medication. 
     This study aimed to identify modifiable factors that could be manipulated and improve quality of life for people affected by knee OA. The study compared how quadriceps femoris (quad) strength versus quad power improved function. The quad is the muscle group located on the front of the thigh and has significant impact on severity of knee OA. Strength is defined as the ability of a muscle to produce force. Whereas muscle power is defined as the ability to generate force rapidly. 
     The greatest concern of power training with the aging population is safety. Other co-morbidities such as cardiovascular diseases and balance impairments can pose great risks that outweigh the rewards of training. If the individual is deemed safe by a doctor to participate in power training, then the pool is a great place to start. Focusing on speed, walking forwards, backwards, and repeating step ups are safe ways to improve speed. To enhance power at the gym or at home, use light weights and high repetitions.  An example of an exercise would be using light weight on the leg press and trying to get as many repetitions as possible in a time frame such as 20 seconds. 

Citation: 
Accettura, Angela J, Brenneman, Elora C, Stratford, Paul W, Maly, Monica R. “Knee Extensor Power Relates to Mobility Performance in People With Knee Osteoarthritis: Cross-Sectional Analysis” Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association 95.7 (2015): 989-995. Print.