RALEIGH, NC. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Osteoarthritis may sound like just another part of getting older. But for millions of women, it can mean years of knee pain, stiffness, and losing the simple ability to get up, get out, and keep moving.
The CDC said that about 33 million US adults have osteoarthritis. This condition is the leading cause of disability among adults. It’s the third most common diagnosis for inpatient hospital stays, and women are more likely than men to develop it, especially after age 50.
Now, a research study is asking a different question: what if some of that damage could be stopped before the pain even starts?
Inside this gym, women are pushing, lifting, and walking toward better health. But there’s a lot more riding on these reps than just a number on the scale or blood test results.
“Finding out that my cholesterol was high. I had grandchildren coming, so that was huge for me was realizing that, you know, I wanna be around for them and I want to be able to do things with them,” said Linda Whitlow.
“Women are about, almost two times more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis than men are,” said Dr. Shannon Mihalko, Behavioral Psychologist at Wake Forest University.
That’s why study participants Whitlow and Laura Cauble have made a four-year commitment to finally break the cycle.
“What I need is follow-up, and this is a four-year program, and I thought if they’re gonna weigh me once a week for four years, I’m gonna keep it off,” said Cauble.
“We’re now looking at whether we can use exercise and diet in people who are overweight and obese to try to actually prevent knee OA from developing,” explained Mihalko.
OA occurs when the tissues in the joint become inflamed, and the loads on the joint are excessive. This results in degeneration of the cartilage and surrounding tissue.
The Wake Forest researchers said losing just one pound can take about four pounds of pressure off your knee.
“We found that we can have even more profound impact with 10% weight loss,” said Mihalko.
The hope is to change how we think about osteoarthritis, not just treating the damage after it happens, but helping women prevent it.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; & Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
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