“If my knee aches, surely I should rest it?” It’s one of the most common instincts with osteoarthritis (OA) — and for most people, it’s the opposite of what helps. Appropriate, regular movement is one of the best things you can do for arthritic joints.
Here’s what’s actually going on, how to move in a way that helps rather than flares things up, and where chiropractic care fits.
First, an important distinction
Not all arthritis is the same, and this matters before we go any further.
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is the common “wear and load” type — the one this article is about. It relates to changes in the joint over time and how the joint is loaded, and it responds well to sensible movement and load management.
- Inflammatory arthritis — rheumatoid arthritis and similar autoimmune conditions — is a different problem entirely. It’s a medical condition managed by your GP and rheumatologist, often with medication, and a hot, swollen, suddenly painful joint needs medical attention, not a self-directed exercise plan.
Why movement helps arthritic joints (rather than wearing them out)
The old idea of a joint as a machine part that simply “wears out” the more you use it turns out to be too simple. Joints are living tissue, and they respond to being used:
- Motion feeds the joint. Cartilage relies on movement to circulate fluid and nutrients. Appropriate movement helps keep an arthritic joint nourished and mobile.
- Strength protects the joint. Strong muscles around a knee, hip or back share the load and support the joint. Rest too much and those muscles weaken, leaving the joint less supported.
- Stiffness feeds on stillness. The less an arthritic joint moves, the stiffer it tends to get — and the harder normal activity becomes. Gentle regular movement breaks that cycle.
The evidence here is genuinely encouraging: for most people with OA, staying active is associated with better comfort and function, not faster “wear.”
How to move in a way that helps
- Favour low-impact movement. Walking, swimming, cycling and gentle strength work are usually well tolerated and easy to sustain.
- Build strength around the joint. Strengthening the muscles that support an arthritic knee, hip or back is one of the most effective things you can do — ideally with guidance so it’s pitched at the right level.
- Manage load, don’t eliminate it. The aim isn’t to avoid using the joint; it’s to find the level it tolerates and build gradually from there.
- Expect some discomfort, not sharp pain. A bit of achiness that settles is usually fine. Sharp or lasting pain that flares for a day or two means it was too much, too soon — ease back and build up more slowly.
- Consistency beats intensity. A little most days does more for an arthritic joint than an occasional big effort.
How ABC™ care at BPPC fits in
At Brisbane Posture and Performance Chiropractic, our approach centres on Advanced BioStructural Correction™ (ABC™), a structural technique concerned with how the body carries and distributes load, and how it compensates when part of it isn’t handling that load well.
That lens is relevant to osteoarthritis because how the rest of your body moves affects how much strain lands on a sore joint. How you stand, how your spine and pelvis share load, and how freely you move all influence the demand placed on an arthritic knee, hip or back. Depending on your assessment, care may aim to:
- support better movement and ease mechanical strain
- improve how your body distributes load away from an aggravated joint
- help you keep doing the daily activities you value
Book an assessment in Carindale
If achy joints are making you move less, we can assess how your body is handling load and give you practical guidance to help you stay active and comfortable — and tell you honestly when something needs your GP.
Brisbane Posture and Performance Chiropractic is based in Carindale, serving the southside including Carina, Camp Hill, Coorparoo, Mount Gravatt, Belmont, Wishart, Mansfield, and Cannon Hill.
Book online or call the clinic.