Find simple ways to move

If you have hip or knee osteoarthritis, staying active can be a challenge.

But staying active can help you manage your pain. Consider incorporating the options below in your daily routine:

• Aim for 3,000 steps a day. If you are able, you can work your way up to 6,000 steps or more! Use hiking poles or a cane to ease any pain and improve your walking pattern.
• To put less of a load on your hips or knees, biking and water-based exercises are great options.
• Mind-body exercises like Tai Chi can help to improve strength, balance and your mood.

It’s important to remember that aiming for 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day is a great way to start. “This doesn’t have to be one 30-minute chunk — you can exercise in 10-minute intervals throughout the day too,” says Patricia.

You might also consider attending a GLA:D Canada Hip and Knee Arthritis Exercise Program after consulting with your family doctor or arthritis specialist.

Get the most out of your virtual care experience

“Some aspects of your care might be a little different, so you might need to prepare a little more,” highlights Patricia when speaking of virtual care. As we continue to navigate the changes brought on by COVID-19, virtual care is a great avenue to improve your access to care while staying in the comfort of your own home.

For the best virtual consultation experience, here are a few tips:

• Dress in loose, comfortable clothing so you can move around easily.
• If your appointment will occur over the phone, think about how to best describe what your joint looks like.
• In the case that your appointment will be over a video call, make sure you are in a space where you can move comfortably and show your joints.
• Try to log in early so you can check your internet connection!

Watch Patricia’s full presentation in the archived video of September’s lecture:

For more information and resources on osteoarthritis, check out some of the resources below:

• A guide for patients having hip or knee replacement
• The Arthritis Society
• Health Quality Ontario, Quality Standards “Care for Adults With Osteoarthritis of the Knee, Hip, or Hand” Patient Reference Guide

The post Living well with hip or knee arthritis: A Speaker Series summary appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Similar to a gamer using a joystick, a patient uses a hand-held magnetized controller to manipulate specialized nail hardware implanted in their injured bone for 30 minutes, three times a day. The internal nail slowly expands to lengthen and heal the bone, eventually filling in the missing gap.

The process can be slow – the bone is only lengthened by as little as a quarter of a millimetre each day. But it adds up over time as the remote control precisely moves the bone segment up to 10 centimetres, based on the specific needs of each patient.

It’s a giant leap forward from the traditional approach, which rendered patients immobile for months with a cumbersome external frame attached to their limb and into the bone at multiple points with bars and adjustment knobs to force pressure through.

The new technique is also far less invasive and painful, which benefits patients more in the long run.

“Since using the magnet and nail technique, we have seen significant reductions in complications such as infection, and the patient’s healing time is reduced by months as a result,” says Dr. Richard Jenkinson, head of orthopaedic trauma for Sunnybrook’s Holland Bone and Joint Program.

Sunnybrook is the first centre in Canada using the newest version of this nail, which now allows patients to walk on their injured legs while undergoing treatment.

“Not only is the patient freed from the external fixation device, but now they are also able to walk while the healing takes place,” says Dr. Jenkinson. “This is a full year of mobility that wasn’t possible before. The patient can move on with their lives much more easily.”

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1. Patient pushes button on remote control advice.
2. Magnetic interaction between the remote controller and the intramedullary nail’s internal gear system causes the nail to expand.

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Illustration by Emblem

The post New technique uses a remote control device to lengthen and heal leg bones appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Yes, it could be.

Texting thumb is also known as ‘Gamer’s thumb’ or by its technical term “DeQuervain’s syndrome.”

There have been increased incidences of this thumb issue noted with use of smart phones and computerized hand held games. A recent study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation found that increased texting led to an increased rate of issues with the thumbs, especially on the dominant side.

It occurs when two tendons on the back of the thumb and near the wrist become inflamed and the tissue starts to thicken. Over time, this gets worse and causes pain with movement and gripping. Eventually, movement and strength become limited.

So what can you do to prevent texting thumb?

• Ice 5-10 minutes and rest after a lot of texting, emailing or gaming.
• Use voice activated texting and emailing to rest the thumbs.
• Alternate by using index fingers to carry out the tasks.
• You may require a resting splint and some therapy to help reduce inflammation and increase range of motion and strength. Talk to a therapist or your health care provider.

Other health conditions can cause sore thumbs – speak to your health-care provider for a proper diagnosis.

The post Is “texting thumb” a real thing? appeared first on Your Health Matters.

“There’s nothing you can do for arthritis, you just have to live with it.”

FICTION

The facts: Actually, there’s a lot people can do for arthritis, and the most important is weight loss. Losing between 5 and 10 per cent of your current body weight (if you are overweight) can reduce pain dramatically by reducing stress on hips and knees. Talk to a physiotherapist about more ways to reduce pain and swelling associated with arthritis and how to improve your day-to-day function (like daily exercise!)

Find more information on body weight and arthritis from Johns Hopkins Arthritis Centre.

“If I exercise, it will make the arthritis worse.”

FICTION

The facts: Evidence shows the opposite! Exercise can help!

It might hurt a little when you start out – but keep at it!  Start with low impact exercise for a short amount of time and it won’t harm you. Try swimming, walking with poles or biking in bouts of 10 minutes. Find more information about that here.

“It isn’t serious, it’s just Arthritis.”

FICTION

The facts: Actually,  arthritis is very serious, especially when it starts to affect how much you can walk, and your ability to work and do the activities you enjoy. People can start to feel ‘down in the dumps’ or have a depressed mood when their life is affected in this way. Arthritis needs to be – and can be – treated.

“I should wait until I can barely walk before I get treatment.”

FICTION

The facts: Don’t wait that long! Evidence shows you may be disappointed with the results of hip or knee replacement if you wait too long. You may have a hard time getting good function back and that’s because your pre-operative function predicts your post-operative function. Talk to your orthopaedic care team about when to seek hip or knee replacement.

The post It’s Arthritis Month: Let’s separate fact from fiction appeared first on Your Health Matters.