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.

I was about nine years old, decked out in my Sunday best, preparing with the rest of my grade school choir to belt out some holiday songs for the packed house of anxious and proud parents attending the Christmas concert. A quiet hush washed over the audience as we took our place on the risers and the lights dimmed. As our music teacher took her place in front of us and got ready to cue the first line of Silent Night, you could hear the proverbial pin drop. The only sound that broke it was the cracking joints of middle-aged parents bending down to capture the moment on film.

Don’t ask me why I remember that, but I do. It was simply gross to me at the time. Today, as life has a cruel way of doing, things have come full circle. My joints are increasingly verbal. And while (knock on wood) they are still functioning well, I realize that I’m smack in the middle of a demographic that is increasingly indicated for joint replacement surgery. Dr. Jeffrey Gollish, a top orthopedic surgeon at the Holland Centre says, we’re seeing a real shift in who is going under the knife. Those aged 55 used to be the exception. Today, they make up nearly a third of patients getting new parts, so to speak.

Part of the change comes from advances to the joint replacement components, with most functioning better and lasting 15 years or more the Holland Centre has also advanced the understanding of when surgery is needed, knowing that the lower people start out on the functional scale, the worse they fare even after surgery. So when your midlife crisis collides with joint replacement surgery, please don’t feel alone.

I know that crackling joints don’t mean surgery is in the cards, but a decline in your daily functioning certainly warrants an assessment. So does an increasing reliance on pain relieving medications. As one of the largest hip and knee replacement centres in Canada, the Holland recently won an award for their model of care, which cuts down on wait times and streams patients into the level of care they need: surgery, physiotherapy or otherwise.

Get more information about the Holland Centre’s programs and services, no matter how old or young you are.

The post Total knee replacement surgery at Sunnybrook’s Holland Centre appeared first on Your Health Matters.